“We can confirm the fact of death,” Yusov apprised the Kyiv Post without providing any additional details.

As per reports from Russian media, Kuzminov met his demise from gunshot wounds, sustaining at least five bullets in his body. His body was discovered in an underground parking facility located in Villajoyosa, a municipality within the province of Alicante, Spain.

In August of last year, Ukrainian intelligence executed a successful operation dubbed “Titmouse,” during which Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov voluntarily transported a Mi–8 helicopter from Russia to the Kharkiv region, delivering it into the custody of awaiting Ukrainian military intelligence.

According to HUR, the operation not only encompassed the seizure of the Mi-8 helicopter but also involved obtaining valuable documentation and classified technical equipment.

Kuzminov stated that his actions were driven by opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, expressing his refusal to be complicit in it. In exchange for undertaking this clandestine operation, he was promised security assurances, new identification documents, and financial compensation.

“The truth is right here. That there are no fascists or Nazis here,” he said. “And I am very sorry for what is happening now. The killings, the tears, the blood. People are just killing each other, and that’s it. This is the only thing I don’t understand, the only thing I didn’t want. What is happening now is simply a genocide of the Ukrainian people,” Kuzminov said in a documentary published by HUR.

“I do not want to be an accomplice to Russian crimes... Ukraine will win – it’s only a matter of time,” Kuzminov added.