Ukrainian intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov confirmed to the Washington Post on Tuesday that the remains were Kuzminov’s.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, warned that the assassination could embolden the Russians to take further such actions.
“If the Russians feel too empowered within the European Union and start killing people, then the problem becomes very complicated. This is not the first time the Russians have acted like this,” he said. told Ukrainska Pravda late Monday.
Spain’s Interior Ministry did not confirm the identity of the body, saying it was riddled with bullets, but acknowledged in a statement that the incident required further investigation. Investigators initially believed the deceased was a Ukrainian national with a different name.
“During the ongoing investigation, it has become clear that this person’s identity may be false and may be that of another individual. The Guardia Civil will continue to verify this. “However, we are unable to provide further information at this time.”
Spanish media, citing sources within the Guardia Civil, confirmed that the body was that of Kuzminov.
Some on the Russian side are already celebrating the death. Pro-Kremlin blogger Sergei Markov posted on Telegram that Kuzminov had been “eliminated.”
“We are not going to rejoice in anyone’s death. But this news can save many lives, because this news is a must for everyone to protect their lives and not to the neo-fascist regime in Ukraine. “Because it’s a reminder to never cooperate,” he said.
Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, said on Tuesday that Kuzminov was dead the moment he started making plans to defect. “In Russia, it is common to speak well of the dead, or not at all. This traitor and criminal had already become a moral corpse by the time he was planning his dirty and horrible crime. Ta.”
A month after announcing his defection, Russian television aired a 10-minute documentary in which experts said Kuzminov killed a fellow serviceman aboard a helicopter during the operation and vowed revenge. He expressed the opinion that it must be.
According to the program, Russia’s military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, had already received orders to remove him. “He won’t live to see the trial,” the masked fighter said on the show.
In August, Ukraine announced a highly publicized intelligence operation to persuade Kuzminov to fly an Mi-8 helicopter loaded with jet parts into Ukraine and seek asylum. Officials said the two crew members on board were unaware of the plan and were shot dead by Ukrainian forces after they refused to surrender.
The Ukrainian government later announced that the pilot had received a reward of $500,000 in local currency, encouraging other Russian military personnel to follow suit.
Paul Schem in London contributed to this report.