Operation Synytsia

Operation Synytsia (Ukrainian: Операція «Синиця», "tit") was an operation undertaken by Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence. On August 9, 2023, a Russian military helicopter landed in Ukraine, after the pilot, Maxim Kuzminov, voluntarily defected and flew to the side of Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1]

Kuzminov and Ukrainian military intelligence officers
Kuzminov (right) with Ukrainian military intelligence officers

On September 5, 2023, Ukrainian intelligence representative Andriy Yusov announced that Maxim Kuzminov will receive a reward of $500,000 (paid in the Ukrainian hryvnia) as well as security guarantees for himself and his family and new documents in accordance with Ukrainian legislation.

Background

Maxim Kuzminov (born June 19, 1995) is a graduate of the Syzran Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots, a legacy[2] pilot. Since 2020, he served as a pilot-navigator in the 319th separate helicopter regiment (military unit 13984). This is a formation within the 11th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Eastern Military District with a permanent deployment point at the Chernigovka airfield in Primorsky Krai. In February 2022, Kuzminov worked in the Amur region. He decided to figure out what was happening and, in his words, "started leafing through textbooks and watching bloggers." It took him about six months to study the history of relations between Russia and Ukraine. Kuzminov clearly blamed Russia for the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War. However, he had to continue working: in October 2022, he flew for the first time to the occupied territories of Ukraine - to Mariupol, and then to Berdiansk. As he said in an interview, all his work consisted of transporting goods or people. It was almost impossible to quit, according to Kuzminov. Pilots who wanted to resign were threatened with being sent to the front as infantrymen.[2]

Operation

Kuzminov contacted Ukrainian intelligence, and formulated an escape plan.[2]

I contacted Ukrainian intelligence representatives. I explained my situation to them. To which they offered me this option: let us guarantee your safety, new documents, monetary compensation. We discussed all these details and started planning my flight.[3]

The operation lasted more than six months and its result was the flight on August 9, 2023 to Ukrainian-controlled territory of the Mi-8AMTSh helicopter with tail number 62. The helicopter was supposed to transport equipment and spare parts for the Sukhoi Su-27, Su-30SM and Su-35 Russian fighter aircraft fleet, between two Russian Air Bases, but instead landed in the Kharkiv region.

I didn’t just steal a helicopter, I officially flew it from point A to point B along a pre-agreed route. On August 9 at 16:30, it took off from the Kursk airfield to the Kharkiv region - approximately 20 kilometers from the border. Further, in the area of the settlement of Shebekino, I flew at an extremely low altitude of 5–10 meters in radio silence mode. When crossing the border they started firing at me. I can’t say for sure who led it, but I assume it was the Russian side. I was wounded in the leg by small arms fire. Then I flew about 20 kilometers away and landed at the indicated location.[4]

There were onboard technician and navigator flying together with Kuzminov.[5] According to Kuzminov, the other two crew members did not know where they were actually flying. According to the pilot, they began to get nervous and behave aggressively, but could not stop him, since they did not know how to control the helicopter. Kuzminov tried to convince them to surrender.[6]

After landing, both crew members ran from the helicopter towards the border with Russia. “Their further fate is unknown to me. But, as follows from the media, they may have been liquidated,” Kuzminov said. Ukrainian intelligence representative Andriy Yusov said that in addition to the helicopter manufactured in 2016 and equipment, the Ukrainian Armed Forces received “invaluable information” about Russian aviation.[7]

Coverage and aftermath

On August 23, a few hours before the Ukrainian publication about the hijacking of a helicopter - the loss of the Mi-8, the telegram channel Fighterbomber, close to the Russian Ministry of Defense, began disseminating a version about a lost pilot who, for unknown reasons, landed on Ukrainian-controlled territory. The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the special service managed to convince the Russian pilot to fly to Ukraine.[8]

On September 4, the Main Intelligence Directorate released a documentary film “Down Russian Pilots”, in which more details of the operation were revealed, the identity of the pilot was revealed and the code name of the operation was "Tit".[9] The film also talked about parallels with Operation Diamond (Penicillin), which was carried out by the Israeli Mossad in 1966, convincing an Iraqi pilot to steal the then most modern Soviet MiG-21.

On September 5, a press conference was held by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine about the details of the special operation to hijack a Russian helicopter. The conference participants stated that helicopter pilot Maxim Kuzminov will receive, in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, a monetary reward equivalent to $500,000,[10] security guarantees for himself and his family, and new documents.[11] From statements of Ukrainian intelligence it is known that Kuzminov’s mother was helped to leave Russian territory for Ukraine. Kuzminov said he was considering the possibility of joining Ukrainian aviation.

Kyrylo Budanov said that such an operation conducted by his department is "the first successful one in the entire history of Ukraine."

No one has done this during this time. We hope that we will be able to scale up now, said the Head of GUR.

He said also: "We were able to find the right approach to the pilot, move his entire family [out of Russia] unnoticed, and finally create conditions where he was able to move this aircraft with the crew without them knowing what was going on. After they realised where they landed, they tried to run away. Unfortunately, they were killed. It would be better if we could [capture] them alive, but it is what it is."[12]

References
  1. Kostenko, Josh Pennington,Maria (September 4, 2023). "'Let's give it a try,' recalls Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine in his military helicopter". CNN.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "Внук заслуженного летчика России угнал вертолет в Украину". «Холод». September 6, 2023.
  3. "Украинская военная разведка показала пилота из РФ, перегнавшего в Украину российский вертолет Ми-8 Он объяснил свой поступок нежеланием воевать". Meduza.
  4. https://vot-tak.tv/novosti/05-09-2023-vertolyot-mi-8
  5. "В Канибадаме похоронили штурмана угнанного в Украину вертолета". Радио Озоди (in Russian). 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  6. "«Они начали немножко агрессивно себя вести. Возможно, их ликвидировали». Российский пилот угнанного в Украину вертолета — о членах своего экипажа". Meduza.
  7. "Свобода, новые документы, полмиллиона долларов. Представитель ГУР – о будущем российского пилота, угнавшего в Украину вертолет". Настоящее Время. September 6, 2023.
  8. "Буданов рассказал, как удалось выманить российского пилота Ми-8 вместе с вертолетом". Крым.Реалии. August 23, 2023.
  9. "ГУР показала фильм о перелетевшем в Украину российском пилоте Ми-8". Радио Свобода. September 4, 2023 – via www.svoboda.org.
  10. "Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine to receive $500,000 reward". 2023-09-05. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
  11. "Пресконференція ГУР щодо деталей спецоперації з викрадення російського вертольота" – via www.youtube.com.
  12. "Ukrainian intelligence on special operation to lure out Russian Mi-8 helicopter pilot". Ukrainska Pravda.
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