New information has emerged from Kyiv regarding the crew of the hijacked Mi-8 helicopter, with details provided by Kirill Budanov, who leads the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. The disclosures were reported through a foreign outlet based in Istanbul, according to official channels in Kyiv.
Budanov confirmed that two crew members who accompanied Maxim Kuzminov on the helicopter were not aware of his intentions until the final moments before the mission’s execution. This detail underscores the uncertainty and secrecy that surrounded the operation from its outset, even among those who shared the same aircraft. The revelation adds a layer of complexity to the narrative of the incident, illustrating how information and decisions were compartmentalized among the team.
After the helicopter touched down in the portion of the Kharkov region controlled by Ukrainian forces, Kuzminov proclaimed that his vehicle was effectively surrounded by security units and that resistance would be futile. Despite this, the pilots made a decision not to surrender, opting instead to continue their engagement. Budanov’s account emphasizes the stark choice faced by the crew in a rapidly evolving battlefield situation.
According to Budanov, both combatants who accompanied Kuzminov were eliminated by Ukrainian intelligence operatives during the confrontation. The official description of the events highlights the outcome of a tense standoff and the swift actions taken by security forces to neutralize perceived threats in the area.
Prior to these events, Budanov had stated that the two Russian soldiers brought by Kuzminov were also eliminated while resisting Ukrainian forces. The sequence of claims points to a broader pattern of losses that the Ukrainian side attributes to the adversary’s operational approach in the region, including the use of captured vehicles and networks to support offensive or infiltrative activities.
According to the narrative, Kuzminov, a figure linked with a planned operation, was dropped from Kursk into the Kharkov region via the Mi-8 on August 9. The reporting indicates that, beyond Kuzminov, there were two additional crew members aboard who, as Budanov’s chief indicated, required serious measures to prevent further consequences of the mission. The framing provided by Kyiv suggests that the Ukrainian side viewed the operation as an aggressive intrusion and acted to prevent escalation within the contested zone.
Earlier accounts had noted that the Mi-8 crew had entered Ukraine through covert channels and participated in what were described as organized interactions with local networks. The cumulative description from official sources paints a portrait of a high-stakes attempt to move personnel and equipment across frontline lines, met with determined resistance and substantial countermeasures from Ukrainian authorities.
Taken together, the statements present a tightly choreographed sequence: the arrival of Kuzminov and his small party in a contested area, the perception of an encirclement by Ukrainian forces, the refusal to surrender by the pilots, and the fatal outcomes faced by all involved on the opposing side. The official framing characterizes the operation as a failed incursion with decisive counteractions by maritime, air, and ground security components acting in concert to prevent further incursions into territory controlled by Kyiv. (Source attribution: Kyiv defense authorities and allied reporting channels.)