Maxime Kouzminov is a helicopter pilot who deserted from the Russian armed forces last August. This deserter was allegedly murdered at the age of 28 in Alicante, where he had sought refuge under false documents. A bullet-riddled body was found in a parking lot in southeastern Spain. The man's identity has yet to be confirmed.
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Ukraine: almost two years of war
He did not agree with the war started by Vladimir Putin. He would have paid for it with his life. Maxime Kouzminov, the Russian pilot who deserted last August, was found dead in southeastern Spain, his body riddled with bullets. According to the Russian and Spanish press, he was shot on February 13 in the town of Villajoyosa, where he had sought refuge under false documents.
Russian services are responsible for “punishing” the pilot
On September 5th, the world learned the incredible story of this young pilot. As a member of the 319th Helicopter Regiment of Russian Aviation, he reported on his defection in a video. After contacting Ukrainian intelligence, the person who disagreed with Russia's war against Ukraine was offered “security guarantees, new documents and financial compensation” by Kiev. So last summer he left a base in the Kursk region aboard his Soviet-era Mil Mi-8 helicopter. He had flown with two soldiers on board in radio silence mode at a very low altitude to neighboring Ukraine. According to his statements, after his plane landed near Karkhiv, the two soldiers accompanying him were shot down and he was finally able to leave Eastern Europe to settle in Spain.
PORTRAIT – Maxime Kouzminov, this Russian deserter pilot who became a hero in UkraineSource: TF1 Info
An incredible story that made him a hero in Ukraine. And an enemy in Russia. In the Russian media, the deserter was described as a “traitor,” “scavenger,” or even “corrupt.” “Kouzminov will not live long enough to see his trial,” a soldier warned on camera.
A threat that has now come true? In any case, the Russian agency Tass confirms this Monday that Maxime Kouzminov, described as a soldier “who killed his comrades and hijacked a Russian helicopter in 2023”, was found dead in this fishing village on the Costa Blanca. Information confirmed by the Ukrainian and Spanish press. According to sources close to the investigation cited by El Pais, the young man could have been identified using his fingerprints. On the Kiev side, Andriy Yusov, spokesman for the General Directorate of Ukrainian Military Intelligence, announced the pilot's death in the press on Monday, without providing any information about the location or circumstances.
However, the Spanish authorities refuse to confirm this information for now. The Spanish Civil Guard in charge of the investigation only pointed out to AFP this Tuesday “that the identity used by the murdered person could be false and it could be another person”. Investigators are currently checking the identity of the victim, which, according to the Interior Ministry, could take some time.
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Therefore, it is time to exercise caution. The fact is, however, that the Kremlin's shadow hangs over a new affair. In an October report, Russian state television said special services had been tasked with finding and punishing the pilot. For Moscow, this death would be a very clear message to all soldiers who want to desert: the fate reserved for “traitors” is nothing one can dream of.
Felicia SIDERIS