ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 344858
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Wednesday 9 August 2023 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Mil Mi-8AMTSh |
| Owner/operator: | Russian Air Force |
| Registration: | RF-04428 62 R |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Location: | Poltava, Shevchenkove Raion, Kharkiv Oblast -
 Ukraine
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Kursk-Vostochny Airport (URS/UUOK) |
On 9 August 2023, a Russian Air Force Mi-8 transport helicopter, ferrying spare parts for Su-27 and Su-30 fighter aircraft was flown to the area of Ukrainian control by defector Maxim Kuzminov. Kuzminov had previously been in contact with operatives of the the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence. The aircraft landed in a prearranged rendezvous point located near the village of Poltava, Shevchenkove Raion, Kharkiv Oblast (not to be confused with the famous city of Poltava, Poltava Oblast).
Upon landing, the other crew members Tursunov Khushbakht and Nikita Kiryanov were unpersuaded by Kuzminov and refused to surrender, and were killed by Kuzminov or his Ukrainian confederates shortly after. Both Khushbakht and Kiryanov were posthumously awarded the Order of Courage. Their bodies were returned to Russia, reportedly in poor condition. The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, confirmed the described events as Operatsiia Synytsia ("Operation Tit").
On September 5, Kuzminov participated in a press conference arranged by the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence where further details were clarified. Kuzminov explains that he flew at a low altitude of 5-10m in radio silence. When crossing the border, Russian forces reportedly opened fire on the helicopter, with Kuzminov being injured in the process. The other crew members resisted, but Kuzminov was the only one who knew how to fly the helicopter. After landing, both crew members ran away in the direction of the contact line, but were likely intercepted thereafter. Ukrainian intelligence representative Andriy Yusov announced that Kuzminov would receive of reward of $500,000 USD equivalent in hryvnia, security guarantees and Ukrainian citizenship. It is unclear whether this was fulfilled to its full extent. Later, reports suggested that Kuzminov was considering joining the Ukrainian Air Force. Kuzminov further appeared in a Ukrainian propaganda film describing his circumstances.
On 13 February 2024, a body was discovered in an underground parking area in the holiday town of Villajoyosa, Alicante Province in Spain. Spanish authorities confirmed that the individual was Maxim Kuzminov, living in Spain under the Ukrainian alias of Ihor Shevchenko. Reports state that Kuzminov had been shot 12 times before being run over by a vehicle. Spain's La Informacion newspaper, which first reported the shooting, said investigators were searching for two suspects who had fled in a vehicle that was later found burnt out in a nearby town. Spanish press have claimed that Kuzminov may have been exposed after making a call to his ex-girlfriend, inviting her to Alicante, an area popular with both Russian and Ukrainian expats and tourists. It remains unclear whether Kuzminov was killed by Russian, or Ukrainian linked intelligence services. Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR), confirmed the former pilot's death, without elaborating further. "This traitor and criminal became a moral corpse at the very moment when he planned his dirty and terrible crime," said Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia's foreign intelligence service (SVR), on Tuesday, without mentioning any responsibility on Moscow's part.
Sources:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0j7an4GeCJ64KLMz3CPQrnUq2kvhyCfkaABiezU2tsg9G6pyPFmufZumJm2K7HsHdl&id=100071807121016
https://baza.io/posts/a5bc4a2d-b697-46f8-8b9d-ddcdbf369e8c
https://baza.io/posts/dc27e720-b2b9-4270-bd1e-182f9dec6a5a
https://baza.io/posts/5dd15b80-2cd5-4d46-9cf8-a5ef15448217
https://www.rt.com/news/592882-traitor-pilot-secret-refugee/
https://en.topwar.ru/225614-kotleta-po-kievski-kapitan-maksim-kuzminov.html
https://en.topwar.ru/226718-hushbaht-tursunov-i-nikita-kirjanov-gerojami-ne-rozhdajutsja.html
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/assassinated-russian-defector-killed-spain-32184614
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-pilot-who-defected-ukraine-shot-dead-spain-reports-2024-02-19/
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/world/europe/russian-pilot-maksim-kuzminov-spain.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/20/spain-russia-ukraine-kuminov-assassination-defector/
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Aug-2023 05:28 | AlxSrgv | Added |
| 24-Feb-2024 08:58 | Anon. | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation