The murder of former pilot Kuzminov, who escaped from Russia to Ukraine by helicopter, was financed by Russian officials based in Vienna, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reports that the payment to Kuzminov's killers by Russian officials exemplifies Austria's role as a planning center for Russian intelligence operations in Europe.

Sources within the intelligence services of the United States, Europe, and Austria indicate that Austria has become a financial and logistical hub for Russia to conduct sabotage and assassinations of Kremlin opponents.

Kuzminov, who hijacked a Russian helicopter in August 2023, was killed in February of this year in Spain. His body, found in the garage of his home, bore multiple gunshot wounds.