Ukrainian Secretary of Security Council reports offer for Synytsia operation pilot to stay in Ukraine
Ukraine offered to allow the Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who last year flew a Mi-8 military helicopter from Russia in a special operation by the Main Intelligence Directorate Sinytsia and was found dead in Spain yesterday, to stay in our country.
This was stated by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov, according to his interview with UP.
The official noted that people who are connected to one event or another should remain vigilant and take care of the situation.
"Our country's proposal was for him to stay in Ukraine. He would be protected here. And I don't think they could have misbehaved here as they did in Spain," Danilov said.
At the same time, the Secretary of the NSDC emphasized the importance of waiting for the official conclusions of the Spanish authorities regarding the situation.
Death of pilot Kuzminov in Spain
On February 19, information began to appear in the Spanish media that on February 13, the body of a Ukrainian man was found in the municipality of Villajoyosa.
As reported by the Eureka News project, the deceased was allegedly Maxim Kuzminov. However, the ages of the deceased and Kuzminov do not match. The Russian pilot is currently 27 years old, while the deceased man found was 33 years old.
Later, Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, confirmed to RBC-Ukraine that the Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who in the summer of 2023 stole a Mi-8 helicopter and fled to Ukraine, was indeed killed. His body was found in Spain.
Operation Synytsia
On August 23, 2023, information appeared online that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter had landed on Ukrainian territory.
It later became known that Ukrainian intelligence conducted a unique special operation, during which they recruited Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov.
He flew the Mi-8 helicopter from the Kursk region to the Kharkiv region. Two crew members who were on board the helicopter with Kuzminov were eliminated.
The stolen helicopter was handed over to Ukrainian defenders.
For more details on Operation Sinytsia and what is known about the death of Maxim Kuzminov, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.