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Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov who defected to Ukraine 'shot dead' in Spain (www.bbc.com)

submitted 4 months ago by nekandro@lemmy.ml to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

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[-] rxbudian@lemmy.ca 22 points 4 months ago

The more these things happen, the less people will defect and provide information about Russia

[-] Badeendje@lemmy.world 17 points 4 months ago

I don't know about that. Just like Navalny and other opposition of Putin, noone that does this kind of thing is under any illusion they will be safe.

Would be better if they are safe though.

[+] roguetrick@kbin.social -10 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

This dude did it for the money and made the incredibly poor choice of leaving Ukraine to spend that money in Spain while trying to get his Russian ex wife to come. Deserting is honorable in this war, but I doubt many will care about this guy.

[-] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 4 points 4 months ago

He also caused death of two other crewmebers in the process.

[-] Badeendje@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago

That's pretty slanderous.

Operation Synytsia

[-] roguetrick@kbin.social 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

What is? That he did it for the money? If it was sympathy for the Ukrainian cause, why did he reject Ukrainian protection and citizenship and go to Spain?

[-] Badeendje@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Who the hell knows why he was in Spain. Does it matter? At least it's warmer there this time of year.

And he wanted to quit the military after his service but pilots where 'encouraged' to stay in service as your family would not be well, or you might end up on the front line as infantry.

[-] MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 0 points 4 months ago

Devils advocate, what if he felt he needed to be as far away as possible to be safe? Spain is in fact the furthest you can go without going over to the Americas.

[-] roguetrick@kbin.social 10 points 4 months ago

Will Spain care I wonder?

[-] ours@lemmy.world 8 points 4 months ago

Russian agents shooting people in their country? Very likely yes.

[-] nekandro@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 months ago

Treason talks going well

[-] ezchili@iusearchlinux.fyi 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

There's no treason in sabotaging an unjust war

The treason was starting the war. In the first place

[-] Alsephina@lemmy.ml -2 points 4 months ago

Agreed that the US should not have started this by backing the 2014 fascist coup.

[-] qdJzXuisAndVQb2@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago

It's not worth even arguing with people like you that support colonialism and empire. I'm just registering this here that people can see straight through your shitty, projecting delusions.

[-] Alsephina@lemmy.ml -1 points 4 months ago

that support colonialism and empire

I don't support the US though?

Did this war not start because the US backed the 2014 fascist coup? And the subsequent killing of ethnic Russians in Eastern Ukraine like Donbas and Crimea for resisting?

These were the results of the 2010 elections.

Eastern Ukrainians don't support the current fascist gov, and even welcomed the Russian army as liberators in 2022.

[-] Roopappy@lemmy.ml -5 points 4 months ago

welcomed as liberators

Oof. Not sure if English is your first language, comrade, but you should be aware that this direct quote, "we will be welcomed as liberators" was used as justification for the invasion of Iraq by Cheney, and has such a negative connotation that it is now only used sarcastically.

Saying it evokes the strong memory of it being a bullshit statement to justify doing something awful. And, based on what you're saying... that assessment rings true.

[-] Alsephina@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

The title of the article itself uses that phrase so not much I can do about that.

It's detailed and lists tons of sources and images. And I can indeed see this happening based on the shit the post-2014 puppet gov had been doing to eastern Ukrainians.

[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 6 points 4 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

The body of a man who was shot dead in Spain is believed to be that of a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine last year.

According to Spanish news agency Efe, Mr Kuzminov's body was found near a property in the town of Villajoyosa on Spain's eastern coast alongside documentation matching his nationality, but with a different name.

A burnt-out car apparently used by the attackers was found near the scene of the crime, the intelligence agency's press service told the outlet.

Two other people on board, who had been unaware of Mr Kuzminov's plans, were shot dead when they started running back towards the border after the helicopter landed.

During a news conference in September, Mr Kuzminov said he switched sides because he opposed Russia's war on Ukraine.

There has been no official comment from Russian authorities, although on Tuesday, Sergei Naryshkin, director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, said: "That traitor and criminal was a moral corpse."

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