Ukrainian official claims to lure Russian helicopter pilots

In an interview with Radio Liberty, scheduled to be broadcast later this week, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Service Kyrylo Budanov described the incident.

“We have found the right way to approach him,” he said.

“We were able to facilitate the removal of his entire family from Russia without detection, and then facilitate his taking control of the aircraft along with the crew without them detecting it.”

“He brought two others with him, making a total of three crew members. When they discovered where they were landing, they tried to escape. Unfortunately, we had to shoot them down. We wanted to capture them alive, but unfortunately, we had no choice.”

CNN has not been able to verify the authenticity of this defection.

An unofficial Russian Telegram channel reported that an Mi-8 helicopter flew to Ukraine and mistakenly landed in the Poltava region.

Another Telegram channel said the plane diverted to the town of Vovchansk across the border between Russia and Ukraine's Kharkiv region, a more likely scenario than the possibility that the plane had flown to central Ukraine.

Russian Telegram channel Voenniy Osvedomitel said that Ukrainian intelligence agents lured the pilot to Ukrainian territory, and that the plane was carrying spare parts for Su-30SM and Su-27 fighters. The channel also reported that two crew members were killed while fleeing.

Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov, who has extensive contacts in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said the Mi-8 had flown to a Ukrainian base. He said “the helicopter is intact and will be added to the Ukrainian Armed Forces after its equipment is analyzed in detail.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented.

Nguyen Quang Minh (according to CNN)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/cnn-quan-chuc-ukraine-tuyen-bo-du-hang-phi-cong-truc-thang-nga-a624169.html