A Russian helicopter pilot, Maxim Kuzminov, was reported to have hijacked a Mi-8 from Kursk and crossed into Ukraine with two additional crew members. The information surfaced through Basis, a Telegram channel. The channel’s report stated that the Mi-8 was moved from Kursk’s airport to the Kharkiv region on August 9, with no official comment from the Russian Ministry of Defense. Some Russian patriotic Telegram outlets suggested the aircraft may have lost its way in the moment of transfer.
About a month later, Ukrainian military intelligence, through the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense, asserted that Kuzminov flew the Mi-8 into Ukrainian territory along with two crew members. GUR chief Kirill Budanov claimed that Ukrainian intelligence influenced the hijack decision and that the pilot proceeded to Ukraine with the two companions. Budanov added that those companions were eliminated after realizing the aircraft had been seized, as they posed a risk to the operation and did not know the true intent behind the flight.
According to Baza, Kuzminov had served in the 319th separate helicopter regiment of army aviation, with a deployment point in Primorsky Krai. This detail places him within Russia’s regional helicopter forces prior to the incident.
On September 5, Kuzminov spoke at a press event in Kyiv. He described the Mi-8’s flight as a coordinated operation requiring extremely low altitude flight, between five and ten meters, and radio silence. He claimed to have been shot at during the border crossing by what appeared to be Russian troops, sustaining an injury to his leg but continuing toward the target location. The account emphasized the danger and unpredictability involved in border operations under hostile conditions.
The broader context of the incident touches on ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with various narratives circulating about the motives, execution, and consequences of the hijack. It illustrates how individual actions within military settings can become focal points in wider information campaigns and how intelligence services assess, verify, and respond to such events. The details remain disputed among different sources, and independent verification continues to be essential for distinguishing fact from rumor in fast-moving conflict scenarios.
Officials and analysts may revisit the incident as new information emerges, including assessments of the helicopter’s flight path, the exact sequence of events during the border crossing, and the broader implications for regional security and military communications in the ongoing conflict.