Defense Intelligence Agency of Ukraine
According to Ukrainian sources, Maxim Kuzminov was given the opportunity to remain in Ukraine after defecting, but decided to go elsewhere.
CNN
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Maxim Kuzminov, a Russian pilot who dramatically fled to Ukraine by crossing the border by helicopter, has died, according to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR).
The news came after the Spanish Civil Guard in the province of Alicante told CNN that a man was shot dead on February 13 in the parking lot of an apartment building in the Mediterranean seaside resort of Villajoyosa.
Private security initially said the victim was a 33-year-old Ukrainian, but later said the body had not yet been identified and was part of an investigation that had been sealed by a judge.
Officials with Ukraine's GUR confirmed to CNN that the body of the man found in Spain was that of Kuzminov, but did not comment on the manner of death.
The body of the man shot inside the garage is believed to still be in the province of Alicante under the supervision of forensic examiners.
The shooting occurred in an area where Russian and Ukrainian expatriates have settled since the start of the war, Villajoyosa's press office said.
Asked on Tuesday if Russia had any information about the deaths, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had no information on the matter.
Russia's foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin also did not comment directly on Kuzminov's death, but told reporters that the defector became a “moral corpse the moment he started planning dirty and horrible crimes.” Russia's RIA Novosti reported.
Immediately after Mr. Kuzminov's defection, Russian television aired a segment about Mr. Kuzminov on the “Vesti Nederi” program, which posed a clear threat to the defector's life. In the program, the reporter said that Russian military intelligence had already received the order regarding Kuzminov, adding that “its implementation is only a matter of time.”
Later in the segment, a man in military uniform with his face covered says, “We cannot let something like this go unchecked. We will punish such behavior.”
The Freedom Corps for Russia, a group affiliated with Ukraine's GUR, made up of Russian citizens fighting for Ukraine, expressed its condolences to Kuzminov's family and friends, calling him “a true warrior.” “He was an honest man,” he said.
“Ukraine will fulfill all its obligations to Maxim, he will receive the promised financial reward for the delivered equipment, and he will either remain in Ukraine and live in peace or continue to serve in one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. , had the opportunity to choose whether to go abroad “to the European Union,'' the Corps said in a statement.
Kuzminov defected in August after Kiev allowed his family to flee Russia undetected, GUR head Kiroro Budanov told Radio Liberty last year. Budanov said it was the first successful operation of its kind.
When Kuzminov flew to Ukraine, two other Russian military personnel who were on board the Mi-8 helicopter with him were unaware of what was happening. The two men died trying to escape when they realized they had landed in Ukraine.
“We hope to capture them alive, but that's the reality,” Budanov said at the time.
In an interview published by GUR in September, Kuzminov spoke at length about his exile. He told reporters that he fled Russia because he opposed the war.
“I contacted representatives of the Ukrainian intelligence service, explained my situation, and they suggested this option: “Come on, we guarantee your safety, we guarantee new documents, we guarantee your financial security.'' We guarantee you compensation and reward,'” the pilot said.
His defection appears to have taken place at the last minute on a plane near the border.
When I told him where I was, he said, “Let's give it a try. It's not that far.”
“I made the final decision and flew very low in radio silence mode. No one had any idea what was happening to me,” Kuzminov said.
CNN's Victoria Butenko and Andrew Carey reported from Kiev, Ukraine, and Al Goodman reported from Madrid.