A Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine with a helicopter is set to receive a $500,000 reward for changing sides.
The payment to Maksim Kuzminov was announced on Ukrainian television on Tuesday by military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov, who said it would be paid in the national currency, the hryvnia.
He also called on other Russian military personnel to follow suit and defect.
“Once again, those Russians who don’t want to become war criminals, please, surrender, defect to the Ukrainian side and defend your own honour and conscience, fight against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s regime,” Mr Yusov said.
The 28-year-old pilot landed his Mi-8 helicopter at an airfield in Ukraine when he defected, according to Ukrainian media reports last month.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Yusov said he defected because he “did not want to contribute” to the crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Speaking in an earlier TV interview about the August 9 operation, Mr Kuzminov said he felt “sorry for what is happening right now: killings, tears, and blood”.
“I got in touch with representatives of the Ukrainian military intelligence and explained my situation to them,” he said. “They offered me a deal to promise me safety, new documents and a reward.”
The operation took about six months to plan, according to reports.
The defection happened during a mission when Mr Kuzminov was flying close to the border with north-eastern Ukraine. He told how he contacted his handlers and suggested it was a good moment to flee.
“I said: ‘Let’s try it. I’m very close by,’” he said. “I flew on at the lowest possible altitude with radio silence. No one really knew where I was.”
