Ukrainian military intelligence has released an interview with a man it says is the Russian pilot who defected in his Mi-8 helicopter last month, CNN reports.

The Ukrainian service notes that the soldier’s name is Maksym Kuzminov, who explained in an interview how he planned to desert:

“I contacted the Ukrainian special services, explained my situation, after which they offered me the following opportunity: “Come, we guarantee your safety, we guarantee you new documents, we guarantee you material compensation.”

The Russian pilot says that he later clarified other details with Ukrainian intelligence, including the flight path.

Regarding the escape, which was reported by the Ukrainian media on August 23, Kuzminov said that he “understood that I was near the border. I made my point and said, “Let’s try, I’m not far away.”

According to him, after making the final decision to desert, he flew at an extremely low altitude and maintained complete radio silence.

“No one at all understood what was happening to me… I flew away [în Ucraina]I landed, they met me, everything was explained to me,” he said.

Ukrainian services showed the seizure of the Russian helicopter

The interview is part of the larger material of the Ukrainian intelligence about the capture of the helicopter.

Kuzminov did not mention other crew members of the Mi-8 AMTSH helicopter. On August 23, “Ukrainian Pravda” with reference to the Ukrainian military noted that as a result of the “special operation” that led to the desertion of the Russian pilot, two more servicemen who were on board the helicopter were killed, assuming that they tried to resist.

It is not entirely clear whether this version of events is true.

In the published interview, Kuzminov also stated that he does not want to contribute to the crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, and called on other Russian servicemen to desert.

“You will be taken care of for the rest of your life. You will be offered a job no matter what you do,” he assured.

The Russian pilot deserted on the Terminator helicopter.

CNN notes that it has not been able to independently confirm the identity of the pilot, but sources in Russia reportedly found the man’s social media accounts, concluding that he is an attack fighter with the 319th Helicopter Regiment assigned to the Eastern Military District.

He is believed to have defected in a Mi-8 AMTSH helicopter, a modernized version of the original model used by the Russian Air Force for amphibious operations. AMTSH helicopters nicknamed “Terminator” entered service with the Russian Armed Forces in 2009.

Since March 8 of last year, shortly after the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has offered a reward of one million dollars and $500,000 for every Russian pilot who surrenders his plane or helicopter.

This would be the first time a Russian pilot decided to accept an offer. Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that his family was safely transported to Ukraine before he fled.

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