A court in Spain has decided to temporarily close the case of the murder of Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who flew a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter into Ukraine in the summer of 2023.
This was reported by the press service of the Spanish judiciary on December 9.
They say that the investigation into this case was stopped due to the lack of suspects.
The judge handling the case received a report from the Civil Guard that discussed unsuccessful attempts to identify the person who shot Kuzminov.
The judge noted that there was insufficient evidence to hold any specific person criminally liable as the author, accomplice, or concealer of the crime.
The courtʼs decision has already entered into force. However, the investigation may be resumed if new evidence emerges or suspects are identified.
What preceded
On September 3, 2023, the Main Intelligence Directorate (known as GUR) released a film called "Downed Russian Pilots", in which a Russian pilot recounted the details of the special operation "Sinitsa". Mi-8 pilot Maxim Kuzminov recounted how he decided to defect to Ukraine and hijacked a helicopter.
The special operation itself became known on August 23. The head of military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov said at the time that there were two more people on board. When they realized where they had landed, they tried to escape and were killed.
The Russian pilot was found dead in February 2024 on the ramp of a municipal garage in the resort Italian province of Alicante. The NYT later wrote that Kuzminovʼs killers left traces that could indicate Russian involvement in the murder.
According to police media reports, Kuzminov was shot six times and then his body was run over by a car. Law enforcement officers found 9mm cartridge cases from a Makarov pistol, a weapon widely used in post-Soviet countries, at the crime scene.
On February 19, Ukrainian intelligence official Andriy Yusov confirmed the death of Maksym Kuzminov in Spain.
“From what we know, he invited his ex-girlfriend to his place and they found him shot,” Yusov said.
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