Spanish intelligence services are convinced that Moscow is behind the assassination in Spain of a man believed to be a Russian deserter who joined Ukraine last year, the daily
El País
said on Thursday, February 22 , citing sources within these services.
“The Spanish intelligence services have no doubt about the fact that the long arm of the Kremlin is behind an unprecedented crime in Spain
,” writes this daily close to the left-wing government.
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Their only question, according to
El País
, concerns the service charged by the Kremlin with the assassination of Maxim Kouzminov: foreign intelligence (SVR), the federal security service (FSB) or military intelligence (GRU).
The sources interviewed by the daily, however, emphasize that it will be
“very difficult”
to prove their involvement and that the killers have already left Spain.
Diplomatic sources cited by the daily consider, for their part, that this affair is
“extremely serious”
and that Madrid will provide a
“firm response”
to Moscow if the Kremlin’s involvement is confirmed.
Confirmed by Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR), which however did not provide details on the location, date or circumstances of his death, the death of the Russian pilot remains shrouded in mystery.
“Moral corpse”
Citing sources close to the investigation, Spanish media say that a bullet-riddled body found on February 13 in a seaside resort in southeastern Spain is his.
Questioned again on Thursday by AFP, the Spanish government and the Civil Guard, in charge of the investigation, however, did not confirm this information.
In a statement to AFP, the Ministry of Defense, on which the intelligence services depend, called to
"let the Civil Guard work so that the investigation advances"
, repeating the response used since the start of this affair by the Spanish government.
Opposed to the conflict in Ukraine, Maxime Kouzminov made headlines last August when he deserted aboard a Russian army Mi-8 helicopter and reached the territory under Ukrainian control.
According to
El País
, Kouzminov is indeed the man killed on February 13 by half a dozen bullets in the town of Villajoyosa, his assassins then having driven over his body with their own car, which was found charred in a neighboring town .
Moscow welcomed reports of his death on Tuesday.
“This traitor and criminal had become a moral corpse from the moment he planned his despicable and terrible crime
,” declared the director of Russian foreign intelligence (SVR), Sergei Naryshkin, quoted by the official TASS agency.
However, he did not confirm Russia's involvement in his death.