Posted by 
The father of the pilot who deserted the Russian army last year said he was not surprised to hear about his “Judas” son’s death, days after police found his body shot to death in Spain.
Maksim Kuzminov, a Russian helicopter pilot, defected from Russia in August 2023, flying his Mi-8 helicopter into Ukraine from the front line and surrendering to authorities.
He was found dead in the Spanish town of Villajoyosa near Alicante on Feb. 13, where he was reportedly living under a false identity.
Oleg Sivaev, Kuzminov’s father, told Russian media that he was not surprised to hear about his son’s death, according to Russian Telegram channel Baza. POLITICO has not been able to independently verify Sivaev’s identity.
“Of course, I expected it to happen to him,” said Sivaev, who told reporters he had not seen his son since 2013. “A traitor is a traitor.”
“I felt he behaved like a Judas, and at the same I feel sorry for him that he traded himself for spare change. Betrayed his fatherland, his close ones,” he said, adding that he also feels sorry for his crew.
Spanish authorities are investigating Kuzminov’s death, but they have offered little information so far. Government spokesperson Pilar Alegría did not answer questions on whether Kuzminov was under Spanish police protection, saying the case was “under investigation.”
But sources in Spanish intelligence services told Spanish outlet El País they did not know that Kuzminov was in Spain, as they were not informed of his arrival. Spanish intelligence services sources have accused the Kremlin of orchestrating Kuzminov’s murder with hired gunmen.
Eva Hartog contributed to this report.
