The High Stakes of Intelligence Warfare
MOSCOW – Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has made a sensational claim, asserting that it successfully thwarted a major plot by Ukrainian and British intelligence agencies to steal a high-value Russian warplane. The alleged scheme underscores the complex and often dramatic nature of the ongoing proxy war between Russia and NATO-backed nations.
The FSB claimed that Ukrainian and British intelligence bodies attempted to entice Russian pilots with financial incentives and other benefits to defect with the aircraft.
The FSB statement specified that the pilots were allegedly encouraged to steal a sophisticated MiG-31 fighter jet equipped with the highly advanced Kinzhal hypersonic missile. For successfully executing this high-risk mission, the Russian pilots were reportedly offered a substantial sum of $3 million and European citizenship.
The Alleged Defection and Destruction Plan
Providing details of the foiled plan, the FSB stated that the plot intended for the aircraft to be flown toward the NATO airbase in Constanța, Romania. Following its arrival, the FSB claims the aircraft was then intended to be shot down using anti-air defence systems, an act designed to be disguised as an accident.
The FSB concluded its statement by asserting: “We have successfully neutralised this large-scale provocation by Ukrainian and British intelligence, which aimed to destabilize our critical military assets.”
