Russia says it foiled Ukrainian-British plot to steal MiG-31 jet
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have stopped an alleged operation by Ukrainian and British intelligence to recruit Russian pilots to steal a MiG-31 fighter jet equipped with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile, Russian state media reported on Tuesday.
According to the RIA news agency, the FSB said the plan involved offering $3 million to a Russian pilot to fly the jet toward a NATO air base in Constanta, Romania, where it could have been shot down by air defenses, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The FSB described the alleged scheme as a “large-scale provocation,” saying Ukrainian military intelligence and British operatives coordinated the plan and even promised the pilot foreign citizenship.
Russian state TV aired what it said were messages and audio recordings related to the offer. Reuters said it could not independently verify the claims.
The MiG-31, armed with the Kinzhal missile, is one of Russia’s key high-speed aircraft, capable of launching missiles that Moscow describes as hypersonic — fast and maneuverable enough to evade most air defense systems.
Russia has repeatedly accused Britain of direct involvement in the Ukraine war, while London has dismissed Moscow’s claims as propaganda and described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an imperialist land grab.
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