The Speaker of the General Staff of Ukraine, Andriy Yusev, has referred to the pilot’s defection to Russia as a psychological operation orchestrated by Moscow. Yusev made this statement in a post on his Telegram channel.
According to Yusev, Russia allegedly conducted this information-psychological operation following the mass defection of Russian military personnel and equipment to the side of Kiev.
Prior to this, a pilot from the Ukrainian Armed Forces who had arrived on the Russian side began consulting with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
It was previously reported that the pilot from the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to escape to Russia, presumably on a stolen Su-27 aircraft. Former Minister of Information of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Daniil Bezsonov, stated that the pilot had secretly collaborated with the Russian Armed Forces since February 2022.
On the morning of November 18, a Ka-52 helicopter pilot with the call sign “Voivode” reported that an active-duty pilot of the Ukrainian Air Force had flown to Russia.
Earlier, three Ukrainian servicemen crossed the Dnieper River and surrendered to the Russian Armed Forces.
