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☆ Meet the woman who engineered Russia's wartime economy and helped secure another term for Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Russian central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina has played a key role in stabilizing Russia's sanctions-hit economy. It's also aimed at the woman behind him: Elvira Nabiullina, the country's central bank governor, who plays a chief role in keeping Russia's wartime economy ticking. At the time, she was the first woman to lead a Group of Eight, or G8, central bank. In 2015, Euromoney, a finance trade publication, named Nabiullina Central Bank Governor of the Year. In December, she issued a warning that Russia's economy was at risk of overheating.

Persons: Elvira Nabiullina, —, Putin, It's, Nabiullina, Daniel McDowell, McDowell, wined, Christine Lagarde, Nabiullina —, Richard Portes, Portes —, Portes, Anders Åslund, Åslund, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka, Yaroslav Kuzminov, Kuzminov, Nabiullina's, Alan Harvey, Herman Gref —, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Maxim Shemetov, Michel Camdessus, she's, isn't, Sergei Aleksashenko, Alexei Makarkin, Vladimir Pesnya, Nabiulina, let's Organizations: Ukraine, Service, Russian, KGB, Syracuse University, Kremlin, International Monetary Fund, US, London Business School, Moscow Times, Bloomberg, Higher School of Economics, —, Moscow State University, SNS, USSR, Industrial Union Board, Gref, Central Bank Governor, Nabiullina Central Bank Governor, Banker, Central Banker, IMF, Monetary Fund, Financial Times, Government, Political Technologies, Wall Street Journal, RBC, Politico Europe Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Brussels, Nabiullina, Swedish, Moscow, Ufa, Central Russia, Tatars, Crimea, Euromoney, Europe, steadying

☆ A Russian Defector’s Killing Raises Specter of Hit Squads
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Michael Schwirtz | José Bautista | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The men who killed Maksim Kuzminov wanted to send a message. This was obvious to investigators in Spain even before they discovered who he was. Not only did the killers shoot him six times in a parking garage in southern Spain, they ran over his body with their car. They also left an important clue to their identity, according to investigators: shell casings from 9-millimeter Makarov rounds, a standard ammunition of the former Communist bloc. “It was a clear message,” said a senior official from Guardia Civil, the Spanish police force overseeing the investigation into the killing.

Persons: Maksim Kuzminov, ”, “ Organizations: Communist, Guardia Civil, Spanish Locations: Spain

☆ The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine was shot 5 times while less than 500 feet away from a police station: WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Maksym Kuzminov was a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine in August. AdvertisementMaksym Kuzminov, the 28-year-old Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine in August and later moved to Spain, was shot five times while less than 500 feet away from a local police station, The Wall Street Journal reported. A medic found five small-caliber shots, one of which directly hit his heart, revealing the accuracy with which the perpetrator killed Kuzminov, according to the report. Western intelligence officials and a former Russian intelligence officer told The Journal last year that Nikolai Patrushev, a close associate of Putin, orchestrated his death. AdvertisementFollowing reports of Kuzminov's death, Moscow's foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin appeared to support the Russian pilot's fate.

Persons: Maksym Kuzminov, Kuzminov, —, Maksym, Vladimir Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Nikolai Patrushev, Putin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Joe Biden, Sergei Naryshkin, Naryshkin Organizations: Service, Street Journal, Russian, Biden Administration, TASS Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Spain, Villajoyosa, Moscow

☆ Opinion: What is Putin afraid of?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. But in its attempt to exercise and display its strength, Putin is showing his fear. Security forces have arrested Russians questioning the war in Ukraine, let alone questioning Putin. According to rights organization Freedom House, Russia has become one of the world’s top perpetrators of transnational repression. Criticism of the war or of Putin can lead to death in a Russian prison camp.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Vladimir Putin, Ksenia, Putin, Karelina, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Chris Van Heerden, didn’t, Boris Nemtsov, Anna Politkovskaya, There’s Navalny, Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, —, Gershkovich, Vadim Krasikov, ”, Maxim Kuzminov, Russia “, Alexander Litvinenko, Sergei Skripal, “ Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, Kremlin, Russia’s Federal Security Service, KGB, Security, US, Wall Street, House, Police Locations: Russia, Russian, Los Angeles, Ukraine, Yekaterinburg, Germany, Chechen, Alicante, Kuzminov, London, Salisbury, England, Moscow, Ukrainian

Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesA Russian helicopter pilot Maxim Kuzminov who defected to Ukraine in a dramatic operation is dead, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) tells CNN. A source at Ukraine’s GUR confirmed to CNN the body was that of Kuzminov, but would not comment on how he had died. Spanish Civil Guard officers investigate the garage where the body of Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov was found in Villajoyosa, Spain, on February 13. Some context: Last September, CNN reported on how the Russian pilot flew his Mi8 combat helicopter across the border – in an operation directed by Ukraine’s GUR. In an interview, carried out under the auspices of the GUR, Kuzminov explained how he planned his defection and why he did it, telling reporters he was opposed to the war.

Persons: Butenko, Andrew Carey, Al Goodman, Maxim Kuzminov, Maxym, Ukraine’s GUR, Rafa Arjones, Dmitry Peskov, Sergey Naryshkin, Kuzminov Organizations: Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, CNN, Spanish Civil Guard, Ukraine’s, Civil Guard, Reuters, Foreign, RIA Novosti, Mi8 Locations: CNN’s, Kyiv, Madrid, Russian, Ukraine, Spain, Villajoyosa, Informacion, Russia, Moscow

☆ Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine is dead: Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Victoria Butenko | Al Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Maxim Kuzminov, a Russian pilot who dramatically defected to Ukraine by flying his helicopter across the border, is dead, according to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR). A source at Ukraine’s GUR confirmed to CNN the body of the man found in Spain was that of Kuzminov, but would not comment on how he had died. The shooting took place in a neighborhood where some Russian and Ukrainian expatriates have settled since the war began, according to the Villajoyosa city hall press office. When Kuzminov flew into Ukraine, the two other Russian service members on board the Mi-8 helicopter with him did not know what was happening. “I contacted representatives of Ukrainian intelligence, explained my situation, to which they offered this option: ‘Come on, we guarantee your safety, guarantee new documents, guarantee monetary compensation, a reward,’” the pilot said.

Persons: CNN — Maxim Kuzminov, Ukraine’s GUR, Dmitry Peskov, Sergey Naryshkin, Russia Legion –, Kuzminov, ” “, Maxim, ‘, ’ Kuzminov, Kyrolo Budanov, Budanov, “, ” Budanov, GUR, ’, I’m, ”, ” Kuzminov, Victoria Butenko, Andrew Carey, Al Goodman, Madrid Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Spanish Civil Guard, Civil Guard, Ukraine’s, Russian Foreign Intelligence, RIA Novosti, Russian TV, Russia Legion, Armed Forces of, EU, Legion, Kyiv, Radio Liberty Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Alicante, Villajoyosa, Spain, Alicante province, Russia, Moscow, ” “ Ukraine, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Russian Pilot Who Defected to Ukraine Is Believed Dead in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Michael Schwirtz | Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Maksim Kuzminov pulled off a daring escape last summer when he defected to Ukraine and handed his military helicopter over to Ukrainian commandos in exchange for half a million dollars. Ukrainian intelligence officials warned Mr. Kuzminov that his life was in danger and urged him not to leave the country. But he ignored them, and was believed to have moved with his money to a small resort town of pastel houses on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. Now Mr. Kuzminov, 28 at the time of his defection, appears to have met the harsh fate Ukrainian officials warned of. Two Spanish police officials with knowledge of the case said the body of a man found riddled with bullets last week in the coastal town of Villajoyosa belonged to Mr. Kuzminov.

Persons: Maksim Kuzminov, Vladimir V, Kuzminov Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Villajoyosa

☆ The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with an Mi-8 helicopter was shot to death in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter in August was found shot to death in Spain last week, according to media reports in Ukraine and Spain. According to the outlet, Russian media reported Kuzminov had been found dead with at least five bullet wounds in an underground parking lot in southern Spain, near Alicante. AdvertisementSpecial Operation 'Titmouse'Kuzminov, a former captain in Russia's 319th separate helicopter regiment, defected to Ukraine in August when he landed a Russian Mi-8 AMTSh on a Ukrainian air base in Kharkiv. Ukrainian military officials said they would not surrender and were "eliminated." Advertisement"What is happening now is simply genocide of the Ukrainian people: both Ukrainian and Russian," he said in an interview released by Ukraine Defense Intelligence.

Persons: —, Maksym Kuzminov, Kuzminov, EFE Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters, Spanish, La Informacion, Police, Guardian, Ukraine Defense Intelligence Locations: Ukraine, Spain, Kyiv, Alicante, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russia's, Russian, Kharkiv, Russia

☆ The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter is now providing key aviation intelligence to Ukraine, defense agency says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a helicopter last month is now helping Ukraine fight Russia. Maksym Kuzminov, the helicopter pilot who switched sides in a daring defection, is now providing the Ukrainian military with key Russian aviation intelligence, according to an interview with Kuzminov released by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. Kuzminov first reached out to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence at the end of 2022, jumpstarting a plan for him to flee Russia with his helicopter. After Kuzminov landed in the Kharkiv region, the helicopter was eventually moved to safer territory, Ukraine's defense intelligence said. The aircraft will be used to "replenish" Ukraine's military fleet, the defense intelligence said.

Persons: Maksym, Kuzminov, Maksym Kuzminov, Artem Shevchenko, jumpstarting, AMTSh, Radio Svoboda Organizations: Service, Defense Intelligence, Russian Pilots, YouTube, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, Radio Free Europe, Radio Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kharkiv, Russia's, Primorsky Region, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine reports a surge in Russians offering to defect after a helicopter pilot switched sides and took his chopper with him
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

More Russian soldiers are offering to defect via a surrender hotline, a Ukrainian official said. The rise in calls comes after a Russian helicopter pilot publicly defected to Ukraine last month. The official said the number of Russian appeals to defect jumped by about 70 percent daily. "After the successful operation Synytsia with the Mi-8 and the pilot, the number of Russian army servicemen considering such a scenario has increased," he added. AdvertisementAdvertisementBy March this year, around 10,000 Russian soldiers used the hotline to offer their voluntary surrender, officials said at the time.

Persons: Andrii Yusov, Radio Svoboda, Ysuov, Russia Yusov, Maksim Kuzminov, Kuzminov Organizations: Service, Defence Intelligence, Radio, Ukrainian Pravda, Putin, CNN, Russia, Russia's Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Putin Russian, Russia, Russia's

☆ Zelenskyy and his spy chief grabbed a photo with what looks like the Mi-8 helicopter a Russian pilot secretly flew to Ukraine in a daring defection
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sarah Gray | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posed with Ukrainian spy chief Kyrylo Budanov in front of a Mi-8 helicopter. The Mi-8 helicopter appears to be the one a Russian pilot flew to Ukraine in a daring defection. The helicopter in question appears to be the one flown by a Russian pilot into Ukraine in a daring defection carried out on August 9, 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Watch: Female spy ring working for Russia busted in UkraineMi-8 helicopter from Ukrainian video of the defection of the Russian pilot. Defense Intelligence of UkraineKuzminov reached out to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence at the end of 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported, and the plan was then put into motion.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyrylo Budanov, Kyrylo, Maksym, Kuzminov, Ukraine Kuzminov Organizations: Service, Ukraine's Defense, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, of Military Intelligence, . Defense Intelligence, Defense Intelligence, Street Journal, Ukrainian, Verkhovna Rada Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Russia's, Verkhovna, Ukrainian

☆ The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter said he flew 32 feet above the ground to avoid being seen and turned off his transponder, per the WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sarah Gray | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian pilot Maksym Kuzminov defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 AMTSh helicopter last month. Kuzminov described how he crossed into Ukraine in a video shared by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence. He flew 32 feet above the ground with his transponder off to avoid being spotted, The Wall Street Journal reported. The defection was first made public in late August, but additional details about the Russian pilot who flew a Mi-8 helicopter to Ukraine were released by Ukraine's Defense Intelligence in a video posted on Sunday. Kuzminov communicated with Ukrainian defense officials via the encrypted messaging app Telegram and came up with a plan to fly the stolen Russian helicopter into Ukraine.

Persons: Maksym Kuzminov, Kuzminov, Kyrylo Budanov, Andrii Yusova Organizations: Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, Street Journal, Service, Wall Street, Radio Free Europe, Ukrainian, Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's Military Intelligence, Kyiv Independent Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Russia's, Ukrainian, Kuzminov, Verkhovna, Kyiv

☆ A Russian commander used military helicopters to transport his pet cat, says pilot who defected to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian commander used two military helicopters to transport his pet cat, according to a defector. One helicopter was used to fly the cat, and another was used to provide cover, he said. The operation burned through "a lot of fuel" and involved six servicemen on board, the pilot added. Ukraine's Defense Intelligence identified the pilot as Kuzminov, who is a 28-year-old former captain in Russia's 319th separate helicopter regiment. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe pilot is now calling on other Russian servicemen to follow his example, Ukraine's intelligence department said.

Persons: Maxim Kuzminov, Kuzminov, Volodymyr Zolkin Organizations: Service, New, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, EuroMaidan Press Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kuzminov, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Russia's

☆ A Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine said his helicopter crew panicked when they realised what was happening but couldn't stop him as he was the only one who could fly it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian pilot defected and brought his helicopter to Ukraine last month, Ukrainian officials said. The pilot said his crew couldn't stop him as he was the only one on board who knew how to fly it. Ukrainian officials said both were killed. Ukrainian officials said a six-month plot led to the Russian Mi-8 AMTSh landing at a military air base in Kharkiv, in northeast Ukraine, last month. "Nobody could put up any resistance," he added, because no one else on board knew how to fly the helicopter.

Persons: Kuzminov, Kyrylo Budanov Organizations: Service, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, Daily, Radio Free Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Kharkiv, Russia's, Radio Free Europe

☆ Watch: Russian Attack Hits Market in Eastern Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine Releases Video of Russian Pilot Who DefectedA Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine last month spoke to reporters on Tuesday and said he had been helped by Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence service. Maksim Kuzminov said he reached out to the agency late last year after months lamenting the Russian invasion of Ukraine and his part in it. Photo: Kirill Chubotin/Zuma Press

Persons: Ukraine’s HUR, Maksim Kuzminov, Kirill Chubotin Organizations: Russian, Zuma Locations: Ukraine, Russian

☆ The Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine said he did it to avoid being involved in 'genocide'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian pilot said he defected to Ukraine, along with his helicopter, to escape what he called 'genocide'. Ukraine published an interview of the pilot, Maksym Kuzminov, who defected in August. Kuzminov said that he defected because he did not want to be involved in war crimes, per CNN's translation. He also didn't explain adding "both Ukrainian and Russian" — though the Russian military has experienced high casualties in the war its civilian population has come to harm on the scale of Ukraine's. AdvertisementAdvertisementElsewhere in his interview, Kuzminov detailed how he arranged his defection with Ukrainian intelligence operatives, who said they spent six months planning the operation.

Persons: Maksym Kuzminov, Kuzminov Organizations: UN, Service, Ukrainian Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia's, Russia, Ukraine —

☆ Russian pilot who defected with stolen fighter jet spare parts gets $500,000 reward from Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian pilot who surrendered to Ukraine will receive $500,000 reward from the war-torn country. Ukraine passed a law last year offering up to $1 million to Russian soldiers for stolen equipment. Maksym Kuzminov, a 28-year-old Russian helicopter pilot, surrendered to Ukraine last month, bringing with him an Mi-8 helicopter and stolen fighter jet spare parts. Ukraine's Parliament started the "I want to live" initiative in April 2022 encouraging Russian soldiers to surrender and offering them up to $1 million for stolen equipment, EuroMaidan Press reported. Kuzminov is now encouraging other Russian soldiers to follow his example and abandon Russia's war.

Persons: Maksym, Andrii Yusova, Kuzminov Organizations: Service, Ukraine's Military Intelligence, Kyiv Independent, Ukraine's, EuroMaidan Press, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia

☆ Ukraine Releases Video of Russian Pilot Who Defected
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

9/5/2023 12:22PMA Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine last month spoke to reporters on Tuesday and said he had been helped by Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence service. Maksim Kuzminov said he reached out to the agency late last year after months lamenting the Russian invasion of Ukraine and his part in it. Photo: Kirill Chubotin/Zuma Press

Persons: Ukraine’s HUR, Maksim Kuzminov, Kirill Chubotin Organizations: Zuma Locations: Russian, Ukraine

☆ Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boys Leader, Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Ukraine’s HUR, Maksim Kuzminov, Kirill Chubotin Organizations: Russian, Zuma Locations: Ukraine, Russian

☆ The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter is encouraging other Russians to do the same, promising they'll be taken care of for life
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter spoke publicly for the first time. The Ukrainian defense agency identified the pilot as Maksym Kuzminov, a 28-year-old former captain in Russia's 319th separate helicopter regiment. The defense intelligence on Sunday published a documentary on YouTube called "Downed Russian Pilots" that details the defection plot. The pilot said he coordinated with Ukrainian military intelligence, which was able to create the circumstances for his safe defection. "What is happening now is simply genocide of the Ukrainian people: both Ukrainian and Russian," Kuzminov said.

Persons: Maksym Kuzminov, Kuzminov, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, Service, Russian Telegram, Eastern Military District, YouTube, Russian Pilots, Ukrainian, Verkhovna Rada, Russian, CNN, Ukrainian Rada, Radio Free, Radio Liberty Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russia, Russia's, Verkhovna, Kharkiv, Radio Free Europe

CNN —A Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine last month has revealed details of the daring operation to fly across the border in his Mi8 combat helicopter, in an interview published by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence. The pilot, named by Ukrainian officials as Maxim Kuzminov, explained in the interview how he planned his defection and why he felt compelled to do so. We would prefer (to take) them alive, but it is what it is.”Maxim Kuzminov speaking in an interview published Monday. Defence Intelligence of UkraineIn the interview released Monday, the pilot detailed how the event unfolded. In the newly published interview, the pilot also pushed back against Russian misinformation about the invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Maxim Kuzminov, “, ’, Kyrolo Budanov, ” Budanov, ” Maxim, ‘, I’m, ”, Yuriy Butusov Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Radio Liberty, . Defence Intelligence, Ukrainian, Russian Telegram, Eastern Military District, Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Poltava, Ukrainian

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