The number of russian military personnel willing to surrender as part of the "I Want to Live" project increased by 70% immediately after the "Synytsia" special operation, where a russian pilot flew a combat Mi-8 helicopter with its entire crew to Ukraine. This was disclosed by the representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, Andriy Yusov, in an interview with Radio Liberty.
"There has been a significant increase within the 'I Want to Live' program, as well as through other communication channels. After the successful operation with the Mi-8 helicopter and its pilot, the number of russian military personnel considering a similar scenario for themselves increased by approximately 70% in one day", - Yusov stated.
Yusov also commented on information from Telegram channels suggesting that an individual who delivers a MiG fighter to Ukraine will receive 2 million dollars.
"This information is more of a legend and a grassroots initiative. However, of course, there will be compensation for the MiG", - he noted.
Previously, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine released a documentary film titled "Shot-Down russian Pilots", in which, among other things, they showcased the russian pilot who flew the Mi-8 helicopter to hand it over to Ukraine as part of the special operation codenamed "Synytsia". According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence, the pilot's name is Maxim Kuzminov, and he served in the 319th Separate Helicopter Regiment of the russian Army Aviation, military unit 13984, located in the Primorsky Krai of russia.
As previously reported, the "I Want to Live" project, which accepts appeals from russian military personnel regarding voluntary surrender, received 22,000 appeals within a year.