Russian pilot who hijacked Mi-8 for Ukraine found dead in Spain

Pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who hijacked a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was allegedly found dead in Spain, TASS reports.

The body of the 33-year-old military man was found on a garage ramp. The body had bullet wounds. Kuzminov was residing in the city of La Villajoyosa in Alicante. Sources at Spanish Civil Guard said that the Russian had recently had problems with drugs and alcohol.

"The foreigner would act inappropriately, he would often yell, chat drunkenly and tell many stories about his past and present life,” Kuzminov's neighbours in Spain said.

Andrey Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of Ukraine, confirmed that Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov was found dead in Spain.

In October 2023, special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate said that pilot Kuzminov "will not live to see trial.” A Rossiya 1 journalist then noted that the order to physically eliminate Maxim Kuzminov had "already been received” by the military, and its execution was only "a matter of time.”

In September 2023, it became known that Kuzminov hijacked a Mi-8 military helicopter from the Kursk region and flew it to the territory of Ukraine. Kuzminov received an offer to steal the equipment from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.