Madrid knows from 1st day about presence of Russian defector Kuzminov in country

Madrid, Feb 27 The Spanish authorities knew "from the first day" about the presence in the country of defected Russian soldier Maxim Kuzminov, who is believed to have been murdered in Spain earlier in February, El Mundo newspaper reported, citing sources.
Last week, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said that the Spanish authorities did not know that Kuzminov was in the country.
"Madrid knew from the first day about the presence of a pilot in Spain," the source was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The report added that Kuzminov "made a lot of noise with the money he was managing."
On February 19, Ukrainian media reported that a body believed to be Kuzminov's had been found in the Spanish municipality of Villajoyosa. Later that day, the RBC Ukraine media agency reported that a representative of the defence intelligence service of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry confirmed Kuzminov's death. However, the Spanish Civil Guard told RIA Novosti that it could not confirm the defected Russian pilot's death.
In 2023, Ukrainian media reported that a Russian pilot allegedly hijacked a Mi-8 helicopter from Russia’s Kursk and flew it to Ukraine after Ukrainian intelligence convinced him to do so. Two people who had been on board with the Russian pilot were reportedly killed. The Russian Defence Ministry did not comment on the situation.