a Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine last year, was last week found shot dead in an underground car park in Spain

The Spanish Civil Guard said it found false documents on a body, which identified the man as a 33-year-old Ukrainian, though with a different name. It is believed Kuzminov was residing in Spain with a Ukrainian passport under a new name.

Spain’s state news agency, EFE, reported the body had been hit by half a dozen bullets and was run over by the car used by the attackers.

Maksim Kuzminov had been living in Spain with a Ukrainian passport under a different name, according to Spanish media. Kuzminov crossed the frontline in an Mi-8 helicopter last August while on a flight between two Russian airbases.

According to Ukrainian intelligence services, Kuzminov contacted Ukrainian agents in December 2022, saying he wanted to defect in exchange for a large monetary reward and a new life for his family in Ukraine. He was awarded the equivalent of $500,000 to relocate to Ukraine.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/20/russian-pilot-who-defected-to-ukraine-was-moral-corpse-says-moscow