A former Ukrainian police officer has died in opaque circumstances in the same Spanish residential complex where Russian defector-pilot Maksim Kuzminov was assassinated in February 2024.
Ihor Hrushevsky, 61, a former officer of Ukraine’s Department for Combating Organized Crime, was found dead on June 29 in the pool of the Cala Alta complex in Villajoyosa, Alicante. He had recently purchased an apartment there. That evening, he had gone for a swim, but was later discovered floating face down in the water. Neighbors and medics tried to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful, El Español wrote.
The death raised suspicions among residents. Although there were no obvious signs of violence on the body, blood was coming from one ear. Some residents believe the cause may have been sudden cardiac arrest or a stroke, but they do not rule out the possibility of murder.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that the death of Ihor Hrushevsky was caused by drowning.
Hrushevsky, who had little contact with neighbors, remained largely unknown to them. Only after his death did it become known that he had previously worked in Ukraine’s department for combating organized crime.
His name appeared only in old registries from the 1990s, where he was listed as the head of the Organized Crime Department (UBOZ) in the Cherkasy and Kirovohrad regions – a unit that was disbanded during police reform in 2015.
Neighbors assume he was already retired and had moved to Spain to live a quiet life.
The death of Ihor Hrushevsky occurred less than a year and a half after the high-profile killing of Russian pilot Maksim Kuzminov in the same residential complex. Kuzminov had defected to Ukraine with a Mi-8 helicopter and was reportedly shot dead by Russian agents in the underground parking garage.
The coincidence of location and the mysterious nature of both deaths has led to suspicions that Russian intelligence services may also be involved in Hrushevsky’s case.
So far, there are no official findings from the investigation regarding the cause of Hrushevsky’s death. Meanwhile, the case of Maksim Kuzminov remains classified and under judicial secrecy.
In August 2023 Ukrainian intelligence conducted a successful operation “Titmouse”: Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov voluntarily brought an Mi-8 helicopter from Russia to Kharkiv region, into the hands of awaiting Ukrainian military intelligence.
According to HUR, the operation not only involved capturing the Mi-8 helicopter but also acquiring valuable documentation and secret technical equipment.
The pilot said his motive was opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying he didn’t want to be a part of it. In return for conducting this special operation, he was offered security guarantees, new documents, and monetary compensation.
“The truth is right here. That there are no fascists or Nazis here,” he said. “And I am very sorry for what is happening now. The killings, the tears, the blood. People are just killing each other, and that’s it. This is the only thing I don’t understand, the only thing I didn’t want. What is happening now is simply a genocide of the Ukrainian people,” Kuzminov said in a documentary published by HUR.
According to a documentary, Ukrainian military intelligence facilitated a safe corridor for the helicopter’s flight. However, the pilot sustained injuries during the capture. Two other crew members chose “not to surrender and lost their lives upon landing.”
The Ukrainian Operation “Titmouse” became the first in this war when the Ukrainian special services managed to capture a new Russian aircraft in combat condition, as well as to lure a high-profile young Russian pilot to their side.