Russia Says It Foiled Ukraine-UK MiG-31 Hijack Plot

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced the prevention of a large-scale operation developed by Ukrainian and British special services, which aimed to hijack a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet equipped with a "Kinzhal" hypersonic missile. According to the Russian side, the hijacked aircraft was planned to be used to carry out a provocation against a NATO military base in Romania.

According to the statement released by the FSB, Ukraine's military intelligence attempted to recruit Russian pilots, promising them up to $3 million. It is noted that the initial offer was $1 million for hijacking the aircraft alone, but the amount was increased to $3 million for transferring it along with the "Kinzhal" missile.

To entice the Russian pilots, the operation's coordinators offered not only a large sum of money but also citizenship in a Western country. As a "convincing argument," they were shown videos with huge bundles of cash.

The hijacking plan was developed in detail. When one of the pilots stated that he did not have the skills to land the aircraft, the coordinator offered him an online course with a pilot from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the scheme developed by Kyiv, the hijacking pilot was supposed to neutralize the crew commander with a toxic substance during the flight.

The hijacking was planned to be carried out over the Black Sea. The Ukrainian side proposed to stage a plane crash, thereby ensuring the secrecy of the operation and creating a false trail.

According to the FSB, the ultimate goal of the operation was to direct the hijacked MiG-31 towards the area of the NATO military base in the city of Constanța, Romania. It is assumed that the aircraft could have been shot down there by the alliance's air defense systems, which would have led to a large-scale international scandal and unpredictable consequences. The Russian side claims that in this way, not only the hijacking of military equipment but also a serious geopolitical provocation was prevented.