Operation Synytsia

After previously arranging his defection and the simultaneous escape of his family, on 9 August 2023, Kuzminov turned off radio communications and landed near Poltava, Kharkiv Oblast [uk], where Ukrainian forces received him.

Yusov additionally promised that Kuzminov and his family would receive unspecified security guarantees, as well as eventual Ukrainian citizenship.

[3][4][5] Maxim Kuzminov (19 June 1995 – February 2024), born in Arsenyev,[6] was a graduate of the Syzran Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots.

During this time, he "started leafing through textbooks and watching bloggers" to learn more about Russian-Ukrainian relations and the Russo-Ukrainian War which had been ongoing since 2014.

Kuzminov decided to make his move at this time due to the flight plan's proximity to Ukrainian territory, and the valuable cargo he was carrying.

Further, in the area of the settlement of Shebekino, I flew at an extremely low altitude of 5–10 meters in radio silence mode.

[11] The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, said the other crew members tried to escape when the helicopter landed, but were spotted and killed by Ukrainian soldiers.

On the other hand, Russian sources said that the positions of the gunshot wounds showed that both of the other crew members where shot from close range, suggesting they were already killed by Kuzminov before the helicopter landed.

[13] On 23 August, two weeks after the incident, the Russian Ministry of Defense-affiliated Telegram channel Fighterbomber reported that a pilot had "gotten lost" and landed in Ukrainian territory for unknown reasons.

[attribution needed]In February 2024, a man's body, which was found in an underground parking garage in Villajoyosa, Province of Alicante, Spain "riddled with bullet holes and run over by a car", was confirmed to be Kuzminov.