Russian defector who sold Putin’s 'copter and fled to Spain dies in hail of bullets by the sea
Hero who ‘nicked’ a helicopter, sold it to the enemy, made a propaganda film, became famous for cocking a snook at Putin and set up a luxury life by the sea with his family
Maksim Kuzminov, was a Russian Mi-8 helicopter pilot.
He was also the first media propaganda hero of this awful Ukraine war.
To Putin and his twisted cohorts, however, Kuzminov was a coward, a thief, a deserter – and a target for deadly force.
He had surrendered by landing in a Ukraine airfield, selling his copter for millions and called on other Russian pilots to follow him.
Kuzminov’s desertion was part of a propaganda war by the Ukraines and remained secret for months.
Then the young pilot went propaganda-public. It was September last year and he was a hero destined to go down in the world of war folk history.
Now, he has been found dead in the underground carpark of his luxury apartment in Villajoyosa near Benidorm on the Costa Blanca. His wife and children are believed to have been living with him.
He’d been shot six times and run over at least four.
Benidorm has a massive Russian community, not perhaps the safest place for a Russian defector who had ‘nicked’ a helicopter, sold it to the enemy, made a propaganda film, become famous for cocking a snook at Putin – then set up a luxury life by the sea with his family.
People noticed him. He was a leaky secret all over the Costas.
Maksim Kuzminov was famous for his part in "Downed Russian Pilots" on Ukraine television. The film revealed how his escape from Putin’s horror was planned and carried out…
And Kuzminov called on other Russian pilots to follow his lead. A big mistake.
He’d said: "If you do what I did, this kind of thing, you will not regret it at all. You will be provided for the rest of your life with absolutely everything. You will be offered work everywhere, whatever you want to do. You will just discover for yourself the world of colours."
The documentary emphasized that Ukraine will provide Russian pilots who decide to defect all the security guarantees provided by law, as well as cash for the transferred military aircraft.
"What is happening now is simply the genocide of the Ukrainian people. Both Ukrainian and Russian. The basis of my action is not to contribute to these crimes. Ukraine will definitely win this war simply because the people have rallied very much... No one wants this war. When Ukraine wins is only a matter of time."
The married pilot’s surrender was the result of more than six months of pressure by Ukrainian military intelligence. They were determined to bring the Mi-8 helicopter and its pilot to their side. Two crew members on board the helicopter were killed.
To Putin and Kuzminov was a coward, a thief, a deserter – and a target.
The pilot's family had already been spirited away from Russia and they were now with Kuzminov.
Kuzminov almost certainly calculated he could fit into the Russian and Ukrainian communities that are a big part of this corner of Spain. He had a new identity – a passport claimed he was Igor Shevchenko.
His killing was met with undisguised joy in Moscow. Sources inside Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said they had warned Kuzminov that if he left the relative safety of Ukraine, Russian assassins would come after him.
#Maksim Kuzminov #putin #costadelsol
Yep, he got his desserts! I know Benidorm very well, a beaitiful place, a little America in Europe, I studied there, it's a little Manhattan.
Here's one of my experiences there ...
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/shame-pain-and-champagne-spain
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/premonition-become-ethereal
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/ogs-original-gravewarm-graveworms
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/invaded-neck-romantic