Kuzminov's killers deliberately left clues indicating their ties to the Kremlin.
The murder of Kuzminov was a message to the enemies of the Kremlin
The killing in Spain of Russian defector pilot Maksym Kuzminov, who delivered a helicopter to Ukraine, raised fears that the Kremlin was once again targeting its enemies,
The New York Times writes about it.
The people who killed Kuzminov wanted to convey a message. It was obvious to the investigators in Spain before they knew who he was. The killers not only shot him six times in a garage in southern Spain, they ran over his body with their car. According to investigators, they also left an important clue to identify them: shell casings from 9mm Makarov cartridges, the standard ammunition of the former communist bloc.
The killing of Kuzminov in the Spanish town of Villajoyosa last month raised fears that Russia's European spy networks are still active and targeting enemies of the Kremlin.
Senior police officials said the killing bears the hallmarks of similar attacks linked to the Kremlin, including the 2019 killing of a former Chechen rebel commander in Berlin and the 2019 poisoning of former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in England in 2018.
The Spanish authorities have not publicly confirmed that it was Kuzminov who was killed. But among the community of Russian and Ukrainian émigrés living in Villajoyosa, there was no question of who was behind the death.
In the past, Russian officials have gone to great lengths to cover up the Kremlin's connection to various murders in Europe, often despite clear evidence of Russian involvement. But Kuzminov's case is different, because high-ranking Russian officials spoke about his death with barely concealed joy, the publication notes.
At the same time, unlike the great publicity that accompanied Kuzminov's escape from Russia, the Ukrainian authorities were mostly silent about the murder. Senior officials worry that this could discourage others from following his example.
Russia will intensively spread propaganda — they are already doing it — that all traitors will be found, — said one of the Ukrainian officials. — This is a hidden message to other citizens of Russia, especially military personnel, that we will find you if you betray us.
Kuzminov's case: what is known
Last year, a Russian pilot drove a military transport helicopter Mi-8AMTSh with a crew to Ukraine. He gave an interview in which he said that he does not want to participate in the war against Ukraine.
In February 2024, Russian and foreign media reported that Kuzminov's body was found in Spain, that he had been shot and driven over.
The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed the fact of Kuzminov's death. At the same time, the secretary of the National Security Council said that the pilot was offered to stay in Ukraine.
