Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine reportedly found dead in Spain

Maxim Kuzminov, a Russian military pilot who defected to Ukraine by flying an Mi-8 helicopter over the border in August, has reportedly been found dead in Spain.

The first mention of Kuzminov’s death in the media came from the Spanish Telegram channel Eureka News, which cited sources from Spain’s Civil Guard, though the post was later deleted.

Later on Monday, Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate spokesman Andriy Yusov said that the agency “can confirm the fact of his death,” according to RBC Ukraine.

The Spanish news site Informacion.es reported that on February 13, the body of a 33-year-old Ukrainian man was found with bullet wounds in a garage in the town of Villajoyosa. According to investigators, the man was fleeing attackers when they began to shoot. A car belonging to the suspected perpetrators was reportedly found completely burnt in the town of El Campello.

Eureka News reported that the body belonged to Maxim Kuzminov, though Kuzminov was only 28 years old.