Spanish authorities have identified a body discovered in the town of La Cala on February 15th as that of Maksim Kuzminov, a Russian soldier who defected to Ukraine last year.
Kuzminov, a captain in the Russian military, made headlines when he abandoned his post and flew a Mi-8 AMTSh helicopter, loaded with parts for Sukhoi fighter jets, over the front lines into Ukrainian territory. His daring defection highlighted the tensions between Russia and Ukraine and raised questions about the loyalty of Russian military personnel, Fox News reports.
Confirmation of Kuzminov’s death came from Ukrainian military spokesperson Andrii Yusov, who corroborated the reports to local news outlets. Additionally, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin labeled Kuzminov a “traitor and criminal,” denouncing his actions as a betrayal of Russia.
Despite warnings from Ukrainian officials to remain in the country due to potential retaliation from Russian agencies, Kuzminov’s life came to a tragic end in Spain. Spanish Civil Guard officers found his body with multiple gunshot wounds and signs of being run over by a vehicle.
Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexei Danilov reportedly advised Kuzminov to stay in Ukraine following his defection, citing the risk of reprisals if he left the country.
The discovery of Kuzminov’s body raised suspicions due to the presence of false documents planted to mislead authorities. Initially identified as an unrelated 33-year-old Ukrainian citizen, Spanish police later grew confident that the victim was indeed Kuzminov during their investigation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov claimed ignorance of the incident, stating he had not received information through diplomatic channels. However, the circumstances surrounding Kuzminov’s death and the discovery of his body in Spain add another layer of intrigue to his dramatic defection and underscore the risks faced by defectors from highly sensitive military operations amidst the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
