HUR confirms death of Russian pilot Kuzminov in Spain

In Spain, former Russian military pilot Maxim Kuzminov was found dead; six months ago, he defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter from the occupiers during the Ukrainian intelligence special operation "Titmouse," and initially, the news of his assassination was spread by pro-Russian propagandists. At the same time, local media reported the murder of a Ukrainian citizen without disclosing his name.

Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, confirmed Kuzminov's death to LIGA.net.

LIGA.net asked whether the information about Kuzminov's death in Spain was accurate. Yusov said, "Yes, we confirm." There are no further details from official sources at this time.

The Italian pro-Russian outlet Il Corrispondente was the first to report Kuzminov's death, labeling it an "exclusive" and presenting the former pilot as a "traitor to the Russian Federation" who allegedly "killed two of his comrades."

Il Corrispondente reports Kuzminov was supposedly killed on February 13 with 12 shots in the town of La Vila Joiosa (Villajoyosa), Spain.

Previously, the same site published fake materials supporting Russia's war against Ukraine, false publications about "Ukrainian Nazis" and the "Kyiv regime," as well as complimentary texts about Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Besides this outlet, several other foreign pro-Russian sites spread the news of Kuzminov's assassination.

On February 13, the local Spanish media Levante-EMV reported that law enforcement was investigating the murder of a 33-year-old Ukrainian citizen, whose body was found that same day in Villajoyosa in an underground parking lot.

The victim's name was not officially disclosed. Kuzminov was 28 years old at the time of the special operation by the HUR.

The publication mentioned at least five gunshot wounds found on the body during the initial examination, but other sources informed the media that there were about ten wounds. An autopsy is expected to determine the final number of injuries.

Investigators later found a car that had fled the scene after the murder: the vehicle was burned and located in El Campello, a 24-minute drive from Villajoyosa, according to Levante-EMV.

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