Spanish intelligence blamed the Kremlin for the death of a Russian soldier who defected to Ukraine

Spanish intelligence services have no doubt that the Kremlin is responsible for the death of a Russian soldier who defected to Ukraine by helicopter in September, a newspaper reported on Thursday. El Pais.

Maxim Kuzminov, a 28-year-old pilot, was killed in Alicante, the Spanish province with the largest Russian population. On February 13, police found a body with six bullets on a garage ramp.

Russian intelligence services called the victim a “criminal-traitor” and the country’s “moral corpse.” The Russian press mentioned the pilot’s alleged problems with alcohol and drugs.

The only doubt the Spanish intelligence services have is whether the operation to kill him was carried out by Russian foreign intelligence, federal security or military intelligence. The crime was allegedly carried out by hired killers from outside Spain. After shooting him, they hit him with a car.

Ukraine paid for desertion to motivate more Russians

Kuzminov’s escape took months of preparation and led to the Russian flying a helicopter to Ukrainian soil, where he surrendered. In contrast, two other crew members, unaware of their colleague’s intentions, refused to surrender and died.

For desertion, a Russian soldier would receive a reward of more than 400 thousand euros. The award was intended to encourage other Russian soldiers to follow the same path.

Russian news television company Russia 1 stated that the Russian military had received orders to execute Kuzminov and that his death was “a matter of time.”