Desertion by helicopter
Ukraine pays hefty bonus to defected pilot
09/05/2023, 11:55 p.m
In a spectacular action, a Russian pilot lands his helicopter in Ukraine. He now receives a handsome sum for his desertion.
The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine in a military helicopter a few weeks ago will receive a $500,000 bounty. This is reported by the online portal “Kyiv Independent”, citing the spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR) Andriy Yusov. The money is to be paid out in Ukrainian hryvnia.
Pilot Maksim Kuzminov landed his MI-8 multi-purpose helicopter in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv in early August. According to media reports, the Ukrainian secret service had been working on the special operation for six months. Kuzminov is said to have contacted the Ukrainian side himself. His two uninitiated co-pilots died in the operation. Ukraine made the successful desertion public on August 23.
“Now a new chapter is beginning”
As a reason for his desertion, Kuzminov stated that he “did not want to contribute to the crimes” of Russia. Ukraine is a “wonderful country,” Kuzminov said today at a press conference in front of journalists in Kiev. He added that his parents immediately supported the defection decision. According to reports, they are now also in Ukraine.
“We captured downed pilots, many Russian pilots were eliminated. But now a new chapter is being opened,” said Yusov in Kiev. They are people who make a fundamental decision, who condemn the Russian war against Ukraine and “make a conscious decision to side with good”. And that’s just the beginning. “More will happen,” Jussow announced. He called on other Russian soldiers to follow Kuzminov’s example.
The reason for Kuzminov’s high reward is a law passed by the Ukrainian parliament in April 2022. Accordingly, Russian military personnel are entitled to up to one million US dollars if they hand over equipment belonging to the Russian armed forces to Ukraine. The amount of the reward depends on the type of equipment. For example, there is $100,000 for a tank.