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Russian defector found dead in Spain amid suspicions of Kremlin assassination
Living under a false identity with a Ukrainian passport in Spain, he continued to speak out against the actions of the Kremlin
The body of Maxim Kuzminov, a former Russian army pilot who gained international attention for defecting and denouncing "genocide" in Ukraine, was discovered on Monday in Colmenar Viejo, southern Spain, with multiple gunshot wounds.
Kuzminov's defection last August, where he used his own helicopter to flee to Ukraine, was a sensational act that drew widespread condemnation from the Russian government.
Living under a false identity with a Ukrainian passport in Spain, he continued to speak out against the actions of the Kremlin.
The circumstances surrounding Kuzminov's death have sparked speculation, with many observers attributing his assassination to the Kremlin. Russian intelligence, in response to the news, labeled him "a moral corpse who had betrayed his country."
The timing of Kuzminov's death is particularly striking, coming just days after the reported death of Alexeï Navalny, Russia's prominent opposition figure, who was found dead in a Siberian prison.
Although the exact cause of Navalny's death remains undisclosed, suspicions point towards an ordered assassination by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Navalny's widow expressed her conviction on social media, declaring that "Putin had killed her husband," reinforcing the perception of state-sponsored violence against dissidents.