Case of Russian Army Deserter's Murder in La Vila Dismissed

Justice has decided to dismiss the case investigating the murder of a pilot who deserted from the Russian army. The deserter was cold-bloodedly shot multiple times in a residential parking lot in a La Vila complex on February 13, 2024.

The presiding judge of the Civil and Instruction Section No. 3 of the Villajoyosa Court of Instance has provisionally dismissed the case due to the lack of a known perpetrator. The judge made this decision through an order that has now become final.

The order states that after receiving the report from the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard, it was informed that "it has not been possible to determine the material or intellectual authorship of the shots against the victim." The instructor asserts that "after analyzing the concurrent circumstances and considering the requirements for the commission of the criminal offense, it can be concluded that there is insufficient evidence to attribute criminal responsibility."

The events occurred on February 13, 2024, in a residential area on Rosa dels Vents Avenue in La Vila. A 33-year-old man was shot dead there. The investigation revealed that the victim was a Russian pilot who had deserted from the Kremlin's army. Ukrainian local media claimed that Maksym Kuzminov had flown his helicopter to the Ukrainian-controlled war front to surrender to the authorities. Allegedly, he did so after accepting an offer to work for the Zelensky government.

After discovering the body, the Alicante Civil Guard began the necessary investigations, finding a burnt-out car in El Campello that was allegedly used by the murderers to flee the crime scene.

The judicial body on duty that day initiated preliminary proceedings to investigate the events, initially classifying them as a murder case and thus decreeing the secrecy of the proceedings to protect all investigations.

However, the numerous investigative efforts carried out by the Homicide Group of the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard were fruitless, and it has not been possible to determine the specific person or persons who carried out this cold-blooded murder.

Therefore, the judge has decided to dismiss the case in accordance with "Article 641.2 of the Criminal Procedure Act" due to insufficient evidence "to attribute criminal responsibility to a specific person as the perpetrator, accomplice, or accessory of the events that led to the formation of the present case."