Russia Foils Alleged Ukrainian Plot to Hijack MiG-31 Jet

Russia's Federal Security Service announced on Tuesday that it had thwarted an alleged plot by Ukrainian and British intelligence to hijack a MiG-31 fighter jet armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and stage a provocation at a NATO airbase in Romania.

The FSB described the operation as directed by Ukraine's military intelligence directorate, with support from British handlers. According to the agency, recruiters targeted Russian pilots, offering them 3 million euros and citizenship in a Western country to fly the aircraft from a Russian base toward Constanta, Romania, home to NATO's largest airbase in southeastern Europe. Once in Romanian airspace, the plan called for the jet to be shot down by air defenses, creating the appearance of an unprovoked Russian attack on alliance territory.

FSB officials stated that the scheme aimed to generate a large-scale incident that could draw NATO deeper into the conflict. In a video released by state media, a Russian military officer, whose identity was concealed, recounted receiving recruitment emails from individuals claiming to represent Ukrainian intelligence. Recordings and messages purportedly from the recruiters were also broadcast,...