Maxim Kuzminov, a Russian pilot who hijacked a Russian armed forces helicopter into Kharkiv Oblast, was killed in the town of La Villajoyosa, Spain, on 13 February, according to Il Corrispondente.
Kuzminov hijacked a Mi-8 helicopter with two crew members on board. After flying across the border at a critically low altitude to avoid radar detection, the helicopter was stopped in Ukrainian-controlled Kharkiv Oblast. Kuzminov’s fellow soldiers, whom he had tried to persuade to defect to Kyiv’s side, are reported dead.
Details of their deaths have not been published, but there are two main versions: they died probably resisting Ukrainian soldiers on the ground or were eliminated by Kuzminov after refusing to switch to the Ukrainian side.
The operation is believed to have been led by the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry. On 5 September 2023, a Russian pilot reported in Kyiv that it was a Ukrainian special operation code-named Sinitsa.
After that, the Ukrainian media called him a hero, urging other Russians to follow his lead. It is known from open sources that special services promised Kuzminov 500,000 dollars for hijacking a Russian aircraft on the Ukrainian territory.
Afterwards, he disappeared from the media. Today it is known that the fugitive pilot travelled from Ukraine to Spain, to the city of Benidorm. He is believed to have left Ukraine amid a wave of negativity over his semi-million dollar payment, whereas frontline soldiers are facing delays in combat pay.
Almost a week ago, on 13 February, Kuzminov was killed by 12 gunshots and then run over by a hitmen’s car around 5pm in the La Cala area. Local media, including the ABC, reported that 100,000 euros were found on the body. He was identified by an official of the Spanish Civil Guard, who investigated the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.
It is noteworthy that the murder of the former Russian pilot has taken place at a time when Ukraine is experiencing the greatest financial difficulties. Kyiv is reportedly in dire need of money to pay the salaries of the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, with the problem exacerbated by long delays in Western aid and questionable military spending.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukraine now needs about $5 billion a month just to cover non-war-related expenses. To reduce the budgetary burden, the Ukrainian parliament has proposed cancelling lifetime benefits for veterans and paying a “monetary stipend” for several years instead.
The mass media suggest that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) may be involved in the murder of Maxim Kuzminov. This is not the first time that Ukrainian structures have been accused of foreign murders. Earlier, The Washington Post (WP) quoted its sources as saying that the SBU together with the GUR carried out dozens of murders of Russian officials in the regions seized by Russia, as well as the murder of military correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky and an attempt on the life of writer Zakhar Prilepin.
There is no information yet on whether the pilot received the promised $500,000. However, his case contradicts the Ukrainian authorities’ statements about critical underfunding. In any case, the story of the Russian traitor pilot has many dark spots, starting with his disappearance from the media space and ending with his sudden emergence in a Spanish town with a lot of money on him.
