Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence vows to pay $500K to Russian helicopter pilot who turned his Mi-8 over to Ukraine

The Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who defected to Ukraine, turning over his Mi-8 combat helicopter, will receive a reward of $500,000, writes the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda, citing Andriy Yusov in Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR).

According to Yusov, Ukraine has a “relevant law,” “signed by the Ukrainian president in April 2022,” which prescribes compensation for combatants who defect to the Ukrainian side together with their equipment. “Ukraine is a democratic state based on the rule of law,” the official added, urging other members of the Russian military to follow Kuzminov’s example.

On August 23, the pro-Kremlin military Telegram channel Fighterbomber reported that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter had become “disoriented,” crossing over the front line and landing in a Ukrainian airfield.

According to Kuzminov, two other crew members were likely killed when conflict erupted following their landing on Ukrainian territory.