GUR special operation involved pilot of Russian Mi-8 helicopter initiating contact with Ukraine — ‘We obtained extremely important intelligence about their air force and many other details that will help us protect our skies and destroy the enemy,’ says GUR’s Yusov

by marketrent

5 comments

  1. Ukrinform reporting of a press briefing:

    >“This is a really important and extremely complex operation, which is of fundamental importance for our security and defense forces, and it will also have long-term consequences for the aggressor power for their morale, as well as for their security and defense sector.

    >“After all, as a result of the operation, we obtained extremely important intelligence about their air force and many other details that will help us protect our skies and destroy the enemy,” Yusov said.

    >[…]

    >Yusov introduced to journalists Captain Maksim Kuzminov, the Mi-8 pilot, noting that he reached out to the Ukrainian side on his own initiative because he condemns Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine and the actions of the Vladimir Putin regime.

    Kuzminov said that from the very outset of the full-scale invasion, he chose not to support Russia’s aggression:^1

    >“What was the impetus for my decision? This is a complete understanding of what is happening.

    >“I decided for myself that this is a brutal crime. And that I simply will not take part in this, no matter what.

    >“Yes, I do have a plane I left behind in Russia and yes, I have a good salary that I left behind, too, as well as two apartments and I almost had a pension there.

    >“In fact, many things held me back, but now it’s all unimportant to me. It was important not to take part in this crime,” the pilot said.

    Yusov was previously reported as saying, “There is a faction of Russians who are no longer entirely aligned with Russia.”

    ^1 https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3757242-valuable-intelligence-collected-in-runaway-helicopter-operation-gur.html

  2. Brilliant.

    And also brilliant to go public with this now, that gives a cover of plausible deniability for others who may have been leaking information. Blame all intelligence leaks on the one guy whose family is safe etc.

  3. I do think the term ‘defecting pilot’ might be preferable to ‘turncoat pilot’. The word turncoat has definite overtones of untrustworthiness, as opposed to someone’s genuine desire to mitigate the Russian evil by doing the right thing.

  5. Do any of you get a bad vibe from the pilot? I watched 2 of his interviews and he’s like all the other orcs interviewed by Zolkin, the way he talks.

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