Aiexpress – The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine last year by flying a military Mi-8 helicopter across the shared border has been discovered deceased in Spain. This comes several months after the government he deserted vowed to exact revenge.
Maksim Kuzminov briefly gained global attention last summer when it appeared that his helicopter had vanished. However, it was later revealed by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate that they had been planning his defection for six months and had ensured the safe escape of his family from Russia.
During a press conference, Kuzminov shared an intriguing anecdote about his experience in which he cleverly outsmarted his two crew members. Despite their initial intentions of harming him during the flight, Kuzminov’s quick thinking and expertise in piloting enabled him to prevent the aircraft from crashing.
The Ukrainian intelligence service later claimed that Kuzminov’s two companions refused to surrender and “died immediately after landing.” However, the incident sparked a scandal in Russia, as local media stated that the military intelligence agency GRU had a standing order with “no expiration date” to assassinate the pilot.
On Monday, Ukraine’s military intelligence was quoted by the news site Ukrainska Pravda, stating that Kuzminov had made the decision to relocate to Spain. He had invited his ex-partner to his residence and was tragically found deceased due to a gunshot wound.
According to intelligence sources, it seems that the individuals responsible for the pilot’s murder were apprehended while attempting to escape from the location where the pilot’s car had been set on fire.
