Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that it has stopped what it called an extraordinary plan by Ukrainian and British intelligence agencies to steal a powerful MiG-31 jet. According to state media reports on Tuesday, the alleged plot aimed to persuade Russian pilots to fly a MiG-31 jet equipped with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile to a NATO air base in Romania.
Russia’s Security Agency Says Plot Involved Ukraine and Britain
The FSB, which is the main security agency of Russia and a successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said that Ukrainian and British operatives had promised $3 million to Russian pilots who agreed to take part in the scheme. The reports said Ukrainian and British intelligence agents promised Russian pilots citizenship and safe passage to Europe if they delivered the MiG-31 jet.
According to the Russian state news agency RIA, the FSB said the plotters planned for the hijacked MiG-31 jet to fly toward the NATO base in the Romanian city of Constanta. They intended for air defenses near the base to shoot it down, creating what Russian officials called a “large-scale provocation.” The FSB said the plan aimed to escalate tensions between Russia and NATO by making it look as though Moscow had lost control of one of its most advanced jets.
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State TV showed what it claimed were intercepted messages and recordings of a man who allegedly worked with Ukrainian and British intelligence. The footage showed him offering Russian pilots money, relocation, and citizenship in a Western country. However, independent sources have not been able to confirm these claims, and no outside agency has verified the authenticity of the materials broadcast on Russian television.
The MiG-31 Jet and Kinzhal Missile: A Fearsome Combination
The MiG-31 jet is one of Russia’s fastest and most powerful fighter aircraft, originally designed to intercept enemy planes at very high altitudes. Over the years, Russia has upgraded the MiG-31 jet to carry the Kinzhal missile, which it describes as a “hypersonic” weapon.
The Kinzhal missile travels several times the speed of sound and can change its path mid-flight, making it difficult for air defenses to detect or destroy. Russian officials say this technology gives their military a major advantage since very few countries can defend against such weapons.
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The FSB said Ukrainian and British intelligence agencies plotted to steal the aircraft to uncover details about the Kinzhal missile’s advanced technology. The agency said the plan could have exposed sensitive information about the missile’s targeting systems and overall performance.
The FSB also said Ukrainian and British operatives tried to recruit Russian pilots working at airbases where MiG-31 jets are stationed. They offered the pilots money and relocation to Europe, but Russian security officers said they intercepted the communications and stopped the plan before it became a threat.
Russia Accuses the West of Espionage and MiG-31 Jet Provocations
Tensions between Russia and Western nations have intensified after Moscow’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed to have stopped a joint Ukrainian and British plot to steal a MiG-31 jet armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
According to Russian state media, Ukrainian military intelligence, allegedly supported by British operatives, planned to bribe Russian pilots with $3 million and Western citizenship to fly the MiG-31 jet to a NATO air base in Constanta, Romania. The FSB said air defenses would likely have shot down the aircraft, causing what it called a “large-scale provocation” designed to embarrass Russia and heighten tensions with NATO.
Britain has long condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an “imperial-style landgrab” and accused Moscow of spreading chaos across Europe. Western officials reject many Russian intelligence claims as propaganda, while Russia continues to accuse the U.K. of backing covert operations against it.
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Russian state TV aired intercepted messages that it said revealed offers to Russian pilots. However, independent outlets such as Reuters did not verify the materials. The FSB said its counterintelligence officers stopped the Ukrainian and British intelligence services from carrying out their plans and prevented a potential international crisis involving the MiG-31 jet.
The incident continues to intensify accusations of espionage and sabotage that Russia and Western nations have exchanged since the Ukraine war began. The dramatic claim—that operatives tried to steal a MiG-31 jet carrying a hypersonic missile—has dominated Russian media discussions this week.