Overview
- The FSB said Ukrainian military intelligence, with UK involvement, tried to recruit Russian pilots with a $3 million offer and the prospect of Western citizenship to seize a Kinzhal-equipped MiG-31.
- According to the agency, the jet was to be flown toward NATO’s developing hub in Constanta, Romania, to be shot down to create a staged incident.
- State media published messages, audio and testimony that they said showed a man acting for Ukrainian and British intelligence approaching a MiG-31 crew member.
- The released materials alleged instructions to neutralize the crew commander, including proposals to kill him or to apply toxic substances to his oxygen mask.
- The FSB said the operation was planned since fall 2024 and that Russian counterintelligence permitted controlled contacts before declaring the plot disrupted.