Russian Pilot Defected With Russian Helicopter Into Ukraine

A senior member of the Ukrainian administration has revealed how a Russian helicopter pilot defected by taking his Mi-8 and its crew to Ukraine.

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, provided a detailed account of the incident in an interview with Radio Liberty that will air later this week.

“We were able to find the right approach to the man,” he told the news outlet.

“We were able to create conditions to get his whole family out undetected, and eventually create the conditions so that he could take over this aircraft with a crew that did not know what was happening.

Read Also: Plane Crash Believed To Have Killed Russian Mercenary Chief Is Seen As Kremlin’s Revenge

“Two more people were with him – a full crew of three persons in total. When they realized where they had landed, they tried to escape. Unfortunately, they were eliminated. We would prefer (to take) them alive, but it is what it is.”

Budanov added: “The pilot feels great, everything is fine. He has two options, but he is leaning towards staying here.”

“No one has done this before, but I hope we can now scale it up.”

Instead of going all the way to central Ukraine, it would have been more likely to divert to the Ukrainian town of Vovchansk, which is located close across the Russian border near Kharkiv, according to an unofficial Russian Telegram channel.

According to the Russian Telegram, Voenniy Osvedomitel, the pilot had been led to Ukrainian territory by Ukrainian intelligence, and the helicopter was transporting replacement components for the Su-30SM and Su-27 fighter aircraft. The other two crew members’ deaths from their attempts to flee were also reported.

The Mi-8, according to Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov, had flown to a Ukrainian base. In accordance with his statement, “the helicopter is fully intact and will be added to the Ukrainian Armed Forces after a detailed examination of its equipment.”