Article

2023-09-06 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with helicopter gets $500,000 reward

[Aljazeera] A Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter will receive a substantial reward of half a million dollars for changing sides and taking Russia’s military equipment with him.

Ukraine’s military intelligence spokesman, Andriy Yusov, said on Ukrainian television on Tuesday that the money would be paid in the national currency, the hryvnia, and called on other Russian military personnel to follow suit and defect to Kyiv’s side.

The case of the 28-year-old Russian helicopter pilot, Maxim Kuzminov, has been widely reported on by Ukrainian media.

"Once again, those Russians who don’t want to become war criminals, please, surrender, defect to the Ukrainian side and defend your own honour and conscience, fight against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s regime," Yusov said in a television discussion on the high-profile defection.

Posted by Besoeker 2023-09-06 05:44|| || Front Page|| [11152 views ] Top

#1 Any bets on how long he'll survive?

Posted by Grom the Reflective 2023-09-06 06:41|| 2023-09-06 06:41|| Front Page Top

#2 Longer than Putin.

Posted by Enver Slager8035 2023-09-06 09:06|| 2023-09-06 09:06|| Front Page Top

#3 Just like Whitman, Price, and Haddad and their vacation to Hawaii.
/Running Man

Posted by swksvolFF 2023-09-06 17:24|| 2023-09-06 17:24|| Front Page Top

#4 Not quite the same as Belenko Flying his Mig-25 to Japan.

Posted by M. Murcek 2023-09-06 17:57|| 2023-09-06 17:57|| Front Page Top

#5 I recommend he not use the proceeds to purchase green bananas.

Posted by Anomalous Sources 2023-09-06 18:35|| 2023-09-06 18:35|| Front Page Top

#6 Russians are saying the pilot survived, but his crew were executed when the bird was landed.

Posted by badanov 2023-09-06 19:33|| 2023-09-06 19:33|| Front Page Top

#7 Of course they did

Posted by Frank G 2023-09-06 20:21|| 2023-09-06 20:21|| Front Page Top

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