Russian Helicopter Pilot defects to Ukraine and encourages other Russians to do the same

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The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter and fighter-jet parts spoke publicly for the first time this week about how he pulled off his daring escape.

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence published an interview with a man it said was the Russian pilot who landed a Mi-8 AMTSh on a Ukrainian air base last month — in what officials said was the culmination of a six-month secret defection plot that involved moving the pilot's family out of Russia and into Ukraine.

The Ukrainian defense agency identified the pilot as Maksym Kuzminov, a 28-year-old former captain in Russia's 319th separate helicopter regiment. Insider was unable to independently confirm the man's identity, but Agenstvo, an independent Russian Telegram channel, said it found Kuzminov's social-media profile, which suggested his identity as an attack pilot in the Eastern Military District.

The Defense Intelligence on Sunday published a documentary on YouTube titled "Downed Russian Pilots" that detailed the defection plot. Kuzminov gave a video interview in which he said he'd defected as part of a special operation under the code name "Synytsia."

According to the article the pilot was offered a safe passage to Ukraine, a safe stay, and will be offered new documents, a job, and good financial compensation. Ukraine has sought to incentivize Russian troops to defect and the Ukrainian Parliament passed a law last year offering financial rewards, safe stay, new documents with the possibility of leaving for a third country.

The motivation seems to be clear according to the article, with the pilot saying he can't take part in what is happening in Ukraine which he called genocide and he doesn't want to commit war crimes, asking other Russians to do the same thing and defect.

It seems there were two other crew members when the pilot defected but were not part of the plan and without knowing the intentions of the pilot. Unfortunately these two young people were 'eliminated' as the Ukrainian Officials said because they were unwilling to surrender.

a reply to: AlienBorg

Makes for nice propaganda. Anyone that believes what either side puts out is delusional.

a reply to: AlienBorg

Sounds like propaganda. Needs to be some questions asked about those other two members postings his crew. And how do we know this guy isn't saying this under duress, especially considering what happened to the other two?

originally posted by: stosh64
a reply to: AlienBorg

Makes for nice propaganda. Anyone that believes what either side puts out is delusional.

propaganda is part of every war. even if the story is constructed, the ukraine has every right to use every means at its disposal against russia. one thing remains a fact: russia invaded the ukraine. so we should do our best to prevent russia from taking the ukraine because russia would continue to push inward. neighboring states on constant alert. a destibilization of europe. no one should wish for that.

originally posted by: stosh64
a reply to: AlienBorg

Makes for nice propaganda. Anyone that believes what either side puts out is delusional.

That's why I said according to the article...
But it seems he defected.

originally posted by: oddscreenname
a reply to: AlienBorg

Sounds like propaganda. Needs to be some questions asked about those other two members postings his crew. And how do we know this guy isn't saying this under duress, especially considering what happened to the other two?

According to the same article the other two didn't surrender and they killed them. It says it clearly as the bottom of the article.

a reply to: stosh64

Propaganda is part of any conflict, but you have to sort the wheat from the chaff. To just disbelieve anything is to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

originally posted by: malte85


propaganda is part of every war. even if the story is constructed, the ukraine has every right to use every means at its disposal against russia. one thing remains a fact: russia invaded the ukraine. so we should do our best to prevent russia from taking the ukraine because russia would continue to push inward.

Russia believes they are taking back conflicting territories that rightfully belong to them after the dissolution of the USSR.

Imagine if the north lost the US civil war, and 30 years later or so the north tries to reclaim Virginia due to a developing north-sympathizing attitude among its citizens. Now imagine the absurdity of a country across the ocean randomly funding weapons to one side of our internal dispute.

Here's what I got out of this:

"People have started to realize that we are bags of garbage, so we have to prop up the propaganda machine like it was when this all started!"

I believe the pilot will get something like 500,000 dollars for doing this. Offering money and immunity in exchange for helicopters, fighter jets and tanks sounds like a good idea by the Ukrainians.

originally posted by: AlienBorg Unfortunately these two young people were 'eliminated' as the Ukrainian Officials said because they were unwilling to surrender.

So in other words the pilots actions got his crewmembers executed...

What a POS...

Do you all honestly support this ****?

I can't for the life of me see how this as a win. Especially knowing he's gonna get money from the American tax payers for being a traitor to his nation and getting his brothers killed.

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: stosh64

Propaganda is part of any conflict, but you have to sort the wheat from the chaff. To just disbelieve anything is to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Dude that's the most NPC comment I've seen here in a month.

a reply to: JAY1980

What does NPC mean, dude?

a reply to: JAY1980

A Russian pilot who defects because he is sick of Putin's genocidal war and wants no more complicity in war crimes?

Yeah, what a POS, eh?

So in other words the pilots actions got his crewmembers executed...

What a POS...

Do you all honestly support this ****?

I can't for the life of me see how this as a win. Especially knowing he's gonna get money from the American tax payers for being a traitor to his nation and getting his brothers killed.

a reply to: JAY1980

That's exactly my problem with it. This guy isn't anything to celebrate.

a reply to: AlienBorg

HE flew then behind enemy lines, without their knowledge, so he could turn traitor at THEIR expense. If that version is too believed. For all we know, the three were captured and the helicopter thing was staged. The other two didn't play ball and were executed.
If it's the latter, that guy is trash.

originally posted by: oddscreenname
a reply to: AlienBorg

Sounds like propaganda. Needs to be some questions asked about those other two members postings his crew. And how do we know this guy isn't saying this under duress, especially considering what happened to the other two?

Because the Ukranians also helped the pilot get his family out safely, his wife and his kids. He reached out to them before he defected and they had time to arrange and coordinate a rescue.

a reply to: AlienBorg

Many Russians have Ukrainian family and vice versa, the Ukraine after all is the OLD Russia from which Russia originally grew.

Also many under the current Russian regime have been persecuted for there political belief's and opponents of the current ruling clique have often met grisly fates so that likely leaves many Russians not only disgruntled with but angry with there current ruling clique.

Because the Ukranians also helped the pilot get his family out safely, his wife and his kids. He reached out to them before he defected and they had time to arrange and coordinate a rescue.

a reply to: Mahogany

Where does it say that? All the article says is he was excited about the money for the helicopter and the brushing over his fellow soldiers deaths.

originally posted by: oddscreenname

Because the Ukranians also helped the pilot get his family out safely, his wife and his kids. He reached out to them before he defected and they had time to arrange and coordinate a rescue.

a reply to: Mahogany

Where does it say that? All the article says is he was excited about the money for the helicopter and the brushing over his fellow soldiers deaths.

Another article. I've been following this case since the start.

“We were able to create the conditions to get his whole family out undetected, and eventually create the conditions so that he could take over this aircraft with a crew that did not know what was happening,” Budanov told Radio Liberty at the time.

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