The most difficult thing during the “Synytsia” special operation was to persuade the russian pilot Maksym Kuzminov to steal MI-8 helicopter.

Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov told about this for NV.

According to him, Kuzminov was very nervous and did not believe too much in the success of the case. Ukrainian intelligence officers had long conversations with him and managed to convince him, having guaranteed the safety for the russian pilot and his family.

“The technical part of the operation — to imperceptibly take out his family for everyone — also turned out to be a difficult task. There were, I think, five or seven such operations in the history of mankind,” said Kyrylo Budanov, remembering the story during the Cold War, when the American special services persuaded a Soviet pilot to fly a supersonic MiG-25 interceptor to Japan.

DIU Chief clarified that such operations are too complicated; therefore, it is hardly possible to put them on assembly line.

“But I want to say one thing: we are already working on two more russians," said Kyrylo Budanov.

The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence also commented last year’s attempts of the Special Forces members of the agency to land in Enerhodar.

There were three such attempts - warriors of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine crossed the Kakhovka dam in rubber boats and landed on the occupied left bank, but they were not able to gain a foothold.

Kyrylo Budanov admitted that the successful implementation of the three ‘Enerhodar’ operations was hindered by both managerial and executive shortcomings; however, these raids, as well as the actions of the secret agents of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, ultimately prevented the russians' plans to connect the ZNPP to russia’s energy system. The preventing such a scenario was one of the global tasks of the mission.

“Operation in Enerhodar also played another role: it gave practical skills for everyone – from commanding staff to soldiers – how to act on the water. Now, this experience is used very well. For example, during the landing in Crimea,” explained the head of the military intelligence of Ukraine.

He added that the actions of the DIU special forces men in the Black Sea and their landing on the western coast of Crimea had become a shock to the russian occupiers.

“There was a shock in kremlin: in their understanding, to land in Crimea – it is practically impossible. But they saw that it was quite real. Thus, another russian myth was destroyed,” Kyrylo Budanov summarized.