Maksim Kuzminov flew a Russian miltary helicopter to Ukraine. Armed with a new identity, he moved to a Spanish resort. Then he was killed in an underground car park

In some ways it is easy to see why Maksim Kuzminov chose to start a new life in Villajoyosa on the Costa Blanca. It overlooks the Mediterranean, with spectacular sunrises. Lemons and oranges droop from trees, brightly coloured homes dot the shore and Villajoyosa is famous for its chocolate. The name means Joyful Town.

More importantly, Kuzminov must have calculated he could blend into the Russian and Ukrainian communities that fill this corner of Spain with Slavic languages, food and faces. With a new identity – a passport claimed he was Igor Shevchenko – here was a place to hide in plain sight, safe from the vengeance of Vladimir Putin.

The fugitive Russian pilot was discreet. He lived in an apartment block ringed by other apartment blocks, learned some Spanish, breakfasted on coffee, toast and ham alone at a nearby cafe and mostly steered clear of fellow Russians. He avoided the supermarket with eastern European pastries and 52 brands of vodka. It might have been lonely, but it was, at least, life.

The fantasy of escape ended on 13 February when gunmen shot the 28-year-old six times in his apartment complex’s underground car park. The reported use of Russian bullets and the undisguised glee in Moscow reinforced the point: you cannot defect to Ukraine with an army helicopter, deliver a propaganda coup to the Kremlin’s enemies, pocket a payment equivalent to $500,000, leave the relative sanctuary of Kyiv and expect to survive.