As of: February 20, 2024, 2:32 p.m
By: Erkan Pehlivan
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Press
Split
A Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine was found shot to death in Spain.
He had carefully planned his desertion in 2023.
Kiev - A Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine is dead, according to reports from Kiev.
Andriy Yussov, spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence service, confirmed this to state television on Monday (February 19): “We can confirm this fact.” He did not provide any information about the exact circumstances of the death.
According to media reports, the man's body was found in Spain.
The news portal
Ukrayinska Pravda
reported, citing intelligence sources: “He brought his ex over and was found shot.” There is also talk of a burned-out car near the crime scene, which may have served as a getaway vehicle.
Official confirmation from the Spanish authorities is still pending.
However, the Ukrainian online portal
Kyiv Post
also reported on the death of the Russian deserter.
The Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov deserted to Ukraine in a helicopter last year.
© IMAGO/Kirill Chubotin
Russian pilot hijacked helicopter and flew into Ukraine - secret service was supposed to kill him
In August 2023, Maxim Kuzminov flew from Russia to Ukraine in a fully equipped Mi-8 military helicopter.
After landing at a Ukrainian military airfield, the other two crew members were shot while trying to escape, according to Ukrainian sources.
The Russian received over 460,000 euros from Kiev for his crime.
In the fall, Russian state television reported that the Russian secret service had received the order to kill the pilot, who was considered a traitor.
Maxim Kuzminov had apparently planned his escape carefully, as he had already smuggled his family out of Russia in advance.
Kuzminov apparently contacted Ukrainian military intelligence as early as the end of 2022 and developed his detailed escape plan over the following six months.
The communication probably took place via an encrypted chat on Telegram.
Spectacular escape from Russia
The
Wall Street Journal
reported the details of the spectacular escape.
Accordingly, the 28-year-old pilot only flew at a height of ten meters during his escape and switched off his transponder.
Despite being fired upon, he managed to land as planned at a military airfield in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine.
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Ukraine has been resisting the Russian invasion for almost two years.
In April 2022, Kiev set rewards for functional Russian war equipment transferred to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian state promises Russian defectors a maximum reward of over 920,000 euros for a fighter plane.
(
erpe/dpa
)
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