Murder of Defected Russian Pilot in Spain Points to Moscow, CBS Reports

Russian security agencies may have been responsible for the killing of the Russian pilot Maksim Kuzminov, who flew a Mi-8 helicopter into Ukraine last August as part of a special operation by Ukraine’s Intelligence and was shot dead in Spain this February.

This was reported by CBS News, citing a source familiar with the progress of the investigation in Spain.

According to the source, shell casings from a Russian-made Makarov pistol were found at the scene of Kuzminov’s murder. The source also shared photos of three suspects with CBS. All were Russian nationals who were in Spain at the time of the killing.

While the suspects’ names remain undisclosed, one has been identified as a retired officer from the Soviet-era KGB , and another as an officer in the Russian police. It is noted that the two are related.

"It's leading back to Moscow, which they want you to know that," Michael Weiss, the US editor at The Insider said. "You know, they want to be able to say, 'You can't prove it was us, but come on, let's be honest. You know it was us.'"

On September 5, 2023, Kuzminov told the story of how he overtook a Russian Mi-8 helicopter to Ukraine within the framework of the HUR  special operation called "Synytsia".

In Ukraine, Kuzminov received citizenship, a passport under an assumed name and half a million dollars. He was advised to stay in the country, but he decided to move to Spain. There, on February 13, he was shot in the parking lot near his house.

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, responded to journalists’ questions about Kuzminov's death in February with a brief remark: “A dog’s death for a dog.”

In a broadcast by Russia's state TV channel "Russia 1," correspondent Sergey Zenin reported that special forces officers from the Russian Ministry of Defense had received orders to eliminate pilot Maksim Kuzminov. One officer stated that Kuzminov would be found and punished "to the fullest extent of the law for treason," while another added that he "will not live to see the trial."