ALWAGHT- According to Russia’s FSB, a joint Ukrainian and UK operation to hijack a MiG-31 armed with a Kinzhal missile was foiled, allegedly involving Bellingcat.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that it had foiled an attempt by Ukrainian military intelligence, with British coordination, to hijack a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile. The operation allegedly involved recruiting Russian pilots with a $3 million incentive to fly the jet to a NATO-aligned location.
The FSB stated that the plan included sending the aircraft to the NATO airbase in Constanta, Romania, where it could have been intercepted by air defenses. Officials also claimed that Bellingcat, a Netherlands-based investigative journalism group, acted as an intermediary in the recruitment effort.
Russian authorities said the hijacking attempt was part of a broader intelligence operation orchestrated by Ukraine and Western actors, particularly the UK. The FSB highlighted that similar operations had been previously attempted, including a plan to seize a Russian electronic warfare helicopter last year.
According to the FSB, information gathered from disrupting the operation allowed Russian forces to target Ukrainian air defense positions and military units more effectively. The agency portrayed the thwarted hijacking as part of ongoing efforts by Ukrainian intelligence to undermine Russian military assets.
