He feels great – Budanov on Russian pilot who flew Mi-8 helicopter to Ukraine
Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, has said that the Russian pilot who cooperated with Ukrainian Defence Intelligence and flew a Mi-8 attack helicopter to Ukraine is feeling "great" and is inclined to stay in Ukraine. Budanov said that the pilot will "star" in a film to be released by Defence Intelligence on 7 September.
Source: Budanov in an interview with Radio Svoboda (Liberty)
Budanov was asked how Defence Intelligence managed to "persuade" the Russian pilot and about the details of the special operation.
Quote: "We were able to find the right approach to the man; we were able to create conditions to take his whole family out unnoticed, and eventually create conditions so that he could take over this aircraft with the crew, who did not know what was happening. When they realised where they had landed, they tried to escape. Unfortunately, they were killed, and we would have liked to [capture – ed.] them alive, but we've got what we've got...
And our pilot feels great, he's doing well. I think you will see him in the film (the release of which Budanov announced would be on 7 September – ed.)... He has two options, but he is inclined to stay here."
Details: Budanov stressed that the pilot was fine and was not being held behind bars or anything similar.
Budanov refused to specify what prompted the Russian pilot to cooperate with Ukrainian intelligence: "This is all unnecessary. This is a fact. There is a helicopter. It will be shown. It exists, you can touch it. It is real. There's a pilot, you can touch him, too, he's real."
He added that it will be possible to see the helicopter and talk to its pilot after the release of the "official film".
In particular, Budanov announced that a documentary revealing details of the operation is to be released on Defence Intelligence’s anniversary on 7 September.
As Budanov stated, this operation is one of the best conducted by his agency in the history of Ukraine. He stressed that this is the first successful operation of such kind in Ukraine.
He also confirmed that the Mi-8 helicopter is now in Kyiv.
Background:
- On 23 August, it became known that a Russian Armed Forces Mi-8 attack helicopter ended up in Ukraine as a result of a long-running special operation by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
- Ukrainian intelligence lured the pilot of the Mi-8 to Ukraine. The aircraft was flying between two air bases and transporting parts for Su-27 and Su-30 SM fighters.
- Along with the pilot, there were two crew members on board who did not know where the helicopter was actually going. The two crew members were killed during the special operation.
- The Mi-8 stayed in Ukraine, along with the parts for fighter jets it was supposed to deliver to the Russians.
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