Spain’s EFE information company says Maksim Kuzminov’s physique was discovered on February 13 in southern city Villajoyosa.
The bullet riddled physique of a Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine final yr has been present in a city in southern Spain, in keeping with Spanish and Ukrainian media.
Spain’s EFE information company, in a report on Monday, mentioned Maksim Kuzminov’s physique was present in an underground storage on February 13 within the city of Villajoyosa, located close to Alicante in southern Spain.
Kuzminov, who had landed in Ukraine along with his Mi-8 helicopter final August, had been dwelling in Spain with a Ukrainian passport below a unique identify, it mentioned.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s GUR navy intelligence confirmed that Kuzminov had died in Spain, however didn’t specify the reason for loss of life. Ukraine’s Ukrainska Pravda newspaper additionally reported that he had been discovered shot useless.
“We are able to affirm the actual fact of his loss of life,” spokesperson for the Fundamental Intelligence Directorate Andriy Yusov said in a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine.
Spanish police in the meantime confirmed {that a} physique was discovered of a gunshot sufferer within the city, however didn’t disclose the sufferer’s identification. A supply at Spain’s Guardia Civil police pressure advised the Reuters information company that the sufferer may have been dwelling below a faux identification.
Spain’s La Informacion newspaper, which first reported the capturing, mentioned investigators have been looking for two suspects who had fled in a automobile that was later discovered burned out in a close-by city.
Kuzminov’s defection to Ukraine was introduced final yr as a serious coup for Kyiv. The pilot mentioned the GUR had lured him into defecting.
“I contacted representatives of the Ukrainian intelligence service, defined my state of affairs. I used to be supplied safety ensures, new paperwork, financial compensation, remuneration. We mentioned the main points and began planning my flight,” Kuzminov mentioned, in keeping with a report by Interfax Ukraine.
EFE, citing a GUR supply, mentioned Kuzminov had determined to go reside in Spain as a substitute of staying in Ukraine.
His obvious killing in Spain involves mild after the death of Russian dissident Alexey Navalny in suspicious circumstances in a Siberian jail.
