As the Justice and Equality Movement rebels in a convoy of 130 all-terrain vehicles approached the capital, a Russian military pilot working as a military instructor Sudanese Air Force climbed into a MiG-29 combat jet and attempted to strafe the column. The plane was shot down by a large-calibre machine gun and the pilot was killed as his parachute did not open after ejecting. Despite the efforts of the Sudanese and Russian governments to conceal the incident, news of his death was leaked by the independent Echo of Moscow radio station in Russia and the Sudanese newspaper Alwan (which was promptly closed down for having "disclosed sensitive military information harmful to the country’s security and its accomplishments").[10][11]