Russian spy chief: Killed Russian pilot was 'moral corpse' for defecting

Russian spy chief: Killed Russian pilot was ‘moral corpse’ for defecting

The director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergei Naryshkin, referred to the late Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who defected to Ukraine and was recently found dead in Spain, as a “moral corpse” when he planned his alleged crimes, according to reports from Russian news agencies.

The body of Maxim Kuzminov was discovered on February 13 in Villajoyosa, near Alicante in southern Spain, as reported by Spain’s state news agency EFE. Kuzminov, who had landed in Ukraine with his Mi-8 helicopter last August, was presented as a significant defection for Kyiv.

Sergei Naryshkin, commenting on Kuzminov’s death, was quoted by TASS news agency saying, “This traitor and criminal became a moral corpse at the very moment when he planned his dirty and terrible crime.” Naryshkin’s words reflect the Russian tradition of speaking either positively about the deceased or refraining from comments.

Kuzminov had been living in Spain under a different name with a Ukrainian passport, as reported by EFE. Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence confirmed Kuzminov’s death in Spain, and the Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported that he had been found shot dead.

The circumstances surrounding Kuzminov’s defection and subsequent demise remain unclear, with the Russian intelligence chief dismissing him as a traitor, while Ukrainian authorities had previously celebrated his defection as a significant victory. The incident adds another layer of complexity to the already strained relations between Russia and Ukraine. Investigations into the pilot’s death are expected to continue to uncover the full details of this perplexing case.

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