Kremlin declines to comment on Mi-8 helicopter highjack from Russia to Ukraine

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, declined to comment on the recent incident of helicopter hijack.

On September 5, it was reported that a Russian pilot hijacked a military Mi-8 helicopter from Kursk and headed to Ukraine.

When asked about the incident, Peskov recommended reporters should turn to the Defence Ministry for a comment.

"Without knowing the details, it would be wrong to comment on anything,” Peskov said adding that there was very little information available about the incident.

On September 5, it became known that Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov hijacked a Mi-8 helicopter from Kursk and headed for Ukraine. The incident took place on August 9. A month later, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defenсe Ministry admitted that it was Ukraine's military intelligence that convinced Kuzminov to highjack the helicopter.

According to the head of the Ukrainian Intelligence Service Kirill Budanov, the Russian pilot flew to Ukraine with two passengers on board. The pilot had to get rid of them both as they did not know about the highjack of the Mi-8 and showed resistance.