- A Russian pilot who surrendered to Ukraine is set to receive a $500,000 reward from the war-torn country.
- Ukraine passed a law last year offering up to $1 million to Russian soldiers for stolen equipment.
- The pilot is now encouraging other soldiers to follow his lead.
Maksym Kuzminov, a 28-year-old Russian helicopter pilot, surrendered to Ukraine last month, bringing with him an Mi-8 helicopter and stolen fighter jet spare parts. His arrival in Ukraine marked the end of a 6-month secret defection plot he had worked out with Ukraine, which involved moving his family out of Russia.
A Ukrainian military-intelligence spokesperson, Andrii Yusov, announced Ukraine would be rewarding the pilot with the equivalent of $500,000, The Kyiv Independent reported.
In April 2022, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law offering rewards for Russian troops who transferred military equipment to Ukraine. The pilot is one of only a few Russians whom Ukraine has publicly touted as handing over vehicles.
“What is happening now is simply genocide of the Ukrainian people,” Kuzminov said in a video released by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, according to a CNN translation. “The motivation for my action was to not contribute to these crimes. Ukraine will unequivocally win this war simply because the people are very united.”
“The whole world is helping them,” he added, according to CNN. “Because first and foremost, human life should be valued.”
Kuzminov is now encouraging other Russian soldiers to follow his example and abandon Russia's war.