The story of the Russian pilot Maksym Kuzminov, who handed over the Mi-8 to Ukraine and was later killed in Spain, shows a classic psychological mistake of people.
This was stated by the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov in an interview with BBC News Ukraine.
Reasons for killing pilot Kuzminov
According to him, when people relax and have money, the desire for fame clouds their eyes.
– And they start saying: “Do you know who I am?”, “You’re nobody’s business, I’m just telling you.” Similarly, then they start calling girls from the Russian Federation, acquaintances from the past, to tell how much money they have now, how wonderful they live in Spain and so on, – said Budanov.
The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence noted that it was necessary to somehow prevent this, but such cases are not isolated. This behavior of people in the world, at different times and in different situations, is a typical mistake.
– This must also be recognized. I’ve never been afraid to admit mistakes, and I can say the same here. It was still necessary to supervise him, and not to believe that “I am an adult, I know how to be”, – he emphasized.
Operation Sinytsia
On August 9, 2023, Kuzminov landed an Mi-8 helicopter on the territory of the Vovchan community in the Kharkiv region. Together with the Mi-8 helicopter, Kuzminov transported components for combat aircraft to Ukraine.
The special operation with the code name Sinytsia was prepared for several months. During the operation, the Ukrainian special services took the entire family of the Russian pilot abroad.
Kuzminov himself was offered protection in Ukraine, but he refused.
In February 2024, Kuzminov’s body was found on the territory of Spain. The interlocutor of UP in Ukrainian intelligence reported that the pilot invited his ex-wife to his place, and later he was found shot dead.
