The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) representatives revealed the circumstances of the death of the Russian pilot Maksym Kuzminov on the territory of Spain, who flew the Mi-8 helicopter from Russia to Ukraine as part of the "Synytsa" operation.
What is known about the circumstances of Maxim Kuzminov's death
The DIU representative told journalists that Kuzminov was indeed found shot on the territory of Spain.
He decided to move to Spain instead of being here. From what we know: he invited his ex to his house and they found him shot, — stressed the DIU employee
It is noted that a burnt-out car was found nearby, in which the liquidators were allegedly fleeing.
What is known about Maksym Kuzminov and the "Synytsa" operation
At the beginning of August 2023, the Russian combat helicopter Mi-8 AMTSH flight number 62 flew into the territory of Ukraine from the Kursk region. It landed at one of the airports of the Kharkiv region.
Initially, the network wrote that the helicopter pilots "lost their waypoint, so they got to the unoccupied territory of Ukraine." Russian propagandists spread information about the alleged "disappearance of the Mi-8" and its "accidental landing in Poltava."
However, DIU reported that the capture of the Russian Mi-8 was a unique special operation codenamed "Synytsia" [literary mean "Great Tit" — Ed.], which lasted more than six months.
The helicopter pilot, Maxim Kuzminov, cooperated with the DIU and, during the flight between two Russian airbases, changed course and landed in the Kharkiv region.
According to the pilot himself, on August 9 at 4:30 p.m., he took off from Kursk airfield. In the area of the settlement of Shebekino, it was already at ultra-low altitude in radio silence mode. While crossing the border, the helicopter opened fire from small arms. Kuzminov expressed the opinion that they were Russians.
The rotorcraft flew 20 km from the border and landed in the agreed place. Along with Kuzminov, two more crew members on board did not know where they were flying. After landing, they began to behave aggressively, ran out of the helicopter and headed towards the border. They had to be eliminated.
The pilot himself was wounded in the leg while flying over the border. He was promptly evacuated to Kyiv. Kuzminov's family was taken to Ukraine even before the start of the final stage of the operation.
The propeller of the Mi-8 remained intact, as did the cargo on board. He transported parts for Russian Su-27 and Su-30 SM fighters, as well as secret documentation. Later, the helicopter was handed over to Ukrainian defenders.
28-year-old Maxim Kuzminov was the commander of the Mi-8 helicopter. He served in the 319th separate helicopter regiment of the Russian Army Aviation — military unit 13984 with a permanent deployment point at the Chernihivka airfield in the Primorsky Krai.
He explained that he decided on such an act because of his categorical rejection of Russian aggression and unwillingness to be involved in war crimes.
I understood that this war was a cruel crime and decided that I would not take part in it. In Russia, I have my own plane, a good salary, two apartments, almost a pension. It's not important to me now. The main thing is not to fight against Ukraine, Kuzminov said at a press conference in Kyiv.
More on the topic
- Category
- Events
- Publication date
- Додати до обраного
