Russian media reports say Russian pilot, who betrayed Russia by killing two of his comrades for 500,000 euros and handing over his helicopter to the Ukrainian army, was found dead in Spain.
Russian military pilot, Maxim Kuzminov, who flew Mi-8 helicopter over frontline to defect to Ukraine last year, has been found shot dead in Spain.
TASS reported on Monday that the 33-year-old Kuzminov had been found dead with several bullet wounds in an underground parking lot in southern Spain, near Alicante.
Business Insider reported on February 19 that Spanish media reported that Kuzminov was living in Spain with a Ukrainian passport under an alternative name.
The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter in August was found shot to death in Spain last week, according to media reports in Ukraine and Spain.
Kuzminov also had two other crew members on board who were shocked when they realized they were landing in Ukraine. Ukrainian military officials said they would not surrender and were “eliminated.”
A spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence confirmed the death of Maksim Kuzminov to the Kyiv Post but did not provide details.
EFE, a Spanish news agency, reported that Kuzminov's body was found on February 13 and that he had been living in Spain with a Ukrainian passport and an alternative name, according to Reuters. Spanish police could not confirm to the outlet that the body found was that of Kuzminov, but an unnamed police source said the victim may have lived under a fake name.
Reuters said La Informacion, a Spanish newspaper, reported two suspects left the scene in a vehicle that was later found burned.
Police initially thought the death may have been gang-related, The Guardian reported.
