From Our Lagos Correspondent
![Russian Pilot Who Defected To Ukraine To Receive $500,000 Reward 1 https://i0.wp.com/naijalamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Maksim-Kuzminov.jpeg?fit=739%2C415&ssl=1 Russian Pilot Who Defected To Ukraine To Receive $500,000 Reward](https://i0.wp.com/naijalamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Maksim-Kuzminov.jpeg?resize=739%2C375&ssl=1)
Maksim Kuzminov, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine, will receive the Ukranian currency, Hryvnia equivalent of $500,000 (approximately Hr 18.48 million), Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) spokesperson Andrii Yusov said on Tuesday, September 5. The 28-year-old pilot (who already ensured his family left Russia) landed his Mi-8 helicopter fully intact at an airfield in Ukraine when he defected, Ukrainian media reported on Aug. 23.
In April 2022, Ukraine’s parliament passed a law offering up to $1 million to Russian military personnel who manage to transfer equipment to Ukraine. The size of the reward depends on the type of equipment they hand over.
He spoke at a press conference on the operation on Sept. 5 and explained that he defected because he “did not want to contribute” to the crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, which he believes is a “wonderful country.”
Kuzminov said that his parents supported his plans to defect and have joined him in Ukraine.
The story was featured in the documentary “Downed Russian Pilots”, which aired on Ukrainian Television on the evening of Sept. 3. The film revealed how the landing was planned and carried out and Kuzminov called on other Russian pilots to follow his lead. Kuzminov provided “valuable evidence about Russia’s army aviation, communication systems, and airfield network,” according to the documentary.