The governor of Russia’s western Bryansk region asserted that security forces and border guards had foiled an attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage group to cross the border and enter Russia.
This year, Russia has repeatedly reported sabotage attempts by Ukrainians along its borders. Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz announced on Telegram, “Employees of the FSB border force of Russia and units of the Russian defence ministry thwarted an attempt to penetrate the territory of the Russian Federation by a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group.”
The Bryansk region, located in western Russia, shares a border with Ukraine and Moscow-allied Belarus. Like other border regions of Russia, it has faced regular attacks and shelling by Ukraine amid Moscow’s offensive in Kyiv.
Ukraine revealed the name of a Russian helicopter pilot who it claimed defected due to his opposition to Moscow’s invasion after crossing the border in a “long-term special operation” led by Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the defense ministry’s intelligence arm, disclosed the identity of the pilot as 28-year-old Maxim Kuzminov, who was previously part of the “319th separate helicopter regiment” based in the Far Eastern Primorye region of Russia.
The Main Intelligence Directorate explained how the operation was conducted with “maximum secrecy,” initially recruiting the pilot after identifying his lack of support for the Kremlin’s invasion.
The department asserted that they facilitated the pilot’s flight into Ukraine and that two other helicopter crew members, unaware of Kuzminov’s intentions to defect to Ukraine, were killed when they refused to surrender.
A video featuring the pilot was also released. In the video, Kuzminov stated, “I contacted representatives of the intelligence of Ukraine and explained my situation. I was offered security guarantees, new documents, monetary compensation, and a reward. We discussed the details and began planning my flight directly.”
He claimed to have transmitted his location while flying at an “extremely low altitude in radio silence mode” near the border. Kyiv stated that it provided “security guarantees” to the pilot’s family, who were “safely transported to Ukraine.”
“The culmination of the operation is a helicopter flight to the designated location and handover to the Ukrainian military. Two other members of the helicopter crew, unaware of the pilot’s true intentions, chose not to surrender and died immediately after landing,” stated Ukraine’s military intelligence agency.
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