Russian refugee pilot Maxim Kuzminov was reported to have faced possible danger in Spain because of a romantic entanglement. The claim appeared in Ukrayinska Pravda, citing the State Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine. The original report suggests that Kuzminov chose to leave Ukraine and establish residence in Spain, a move that apparently preceded his death according to Ukrainian authorities. The State Intelligence Service alleges that he was shot after inviting his former girlfriend to his home, a detail that links the violence to personal matters rather than a direct military operation. The site also notes the discovery of a burned vehicle near Kuzminov’s residence in the municipality of Villajoyos, a clue that prosecutors or investigators believe could be connected to the killing or to the assailants’ movements. [Citation: Ukrayinska Pravda; reference: State Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine]
In separate disclosures, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence stated that Kuzminov had piloted an Mi-8 helicopter from Kursk to the Kharkiv region on August 9. The report indicates that two crew members were killed during the operation due to resistance and includes a claim that Kuzminov himself faced lethal consequences. The Ukrainian intelligence narrative also notes that on September 7 of the prior year, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on reports about the Mi-8 helicopter hijacking in Ukraine, stating that such matters fell within the Defense Ministry’s prerogative. This sequence of events is presented as part of a broader assessment by Ukrainian authorities regarding Kuzminov and his colleagues. [Citation: Ukrainian Ministry of Defence Main Intelligence Directorate]
Earlier statements from Spanish authorities, specifically the Civil Guard, did not confirm Kuzminov’s killing, leaving the case without an official verification from Spanish security services. The divergent accounts between Ukrainian intelligence and Spanish officials have fueled ongoing discussions about the handling and verification of foreign nationals involved in military or post-military activities. The overall account places Kuzminov within a larger frame of post-Soviet aviation movements and the contested roles of veterans or émigrés who navigated international routes in the years following geopolitical upheaval. [Citation: Ukrainian State Intelligence Service; Spanish Civil Guard updates]