The death in Spain of Maksim Kuzminov, a pilot who delivered a helicopter and secret documents to Ukraine, has raised fears that the Kremlin is again targeting its enemies.

Mr. Kuzminov defected from Russia to Ukraine last summer, flying his Mi-8 military helicopter into Ukrainian territory and handing the aircraft along with a cache of secret documents to Ukrainian intelligence operatives. In doing so, he committed the one offense President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has said again and again he will never forgive: treachery.

His killing in the seaside resort town of Villajoyosa last month has raised fears that Russia’s European spy networks continue to operate and are targeting enemies of the Kremlin, despite concerted efforts to dismantle them after Mr. Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Russia’s intelligence services have been put on a war footing and begun operating at a level of aggressiveness at home and abroad reminiscent of the Stalin era, said Andrei Soldatov, an author and expert on Russia’s military and security services.

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  • Plopp@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    7 months ago

    His killing /… / last month has raised fears that Russia’s European spy networks continue to operate…

    Eh? Raised fears? What kind of moron doesn’t fully expect Russia to spy like crazy, all the time, and even more so since the last couple of years? It’s one thing they’ve always been very good at, and somehow manages to turn people in high up places in other countries, continously. If we don’t find direct evidence of them spying it’s not because they’ve stopped or decreased their spying activities.