Russian glee over pilot’s murderSpanish officials have until now refused to confirm that the victim was Kuzminov.A spokesman for the Guardia Civil Police, which is running the investigation, told AFP on Thursday that there was no new information on the case, and the interior ministry refused to comment.Contacted by AFP, the defence ministry, which is responsible for Spain’s intelligence services, said: “Let the police do their work and carry out the investigation,” parroting the government’s official line.Spanish intelligence officials believe the shooting, which occurred in an area with a large Russian population and was initially thought to be a “settling of scores,” was carried out by hitmen who have already left Spain.After shooting Kuzminov six times, they ran him over with his own car and then fled, they said. The car was later found completely burnt out in a nearby town.When Kuzminov deserted, there were two other Russian servicemen on board his helicopter who were unaware of his plans.They were killed when they tried to flee after the chopper landed in Ukraine, according to Kiev’s military intelligence services, which said it had spent six months planning Kuzminov’s defection.Russia’s SVR chief, Sergei Naryshkin, on Tuesday hailed news of the pilot’s death. “This traitor and criminal became a moral corpse at the very moment when he planned his dirty and terrible crime,” he said in remarks reported by Russian state news agencies.
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