Russia claims to have foiled Ukrainian plan to hijack several military jets

Russia has claimed that it foiled a plot from Ukrainian secret service to hijack several military jets.

A security official official and a pilot, who is said to have been targeted by Kiev, have allegedly shared details of the operation with Russia Today or RT, a state backed media outlet.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in a sensation claim alleged that a leading figure from the “foreign funded” investigative media organization Bellingcat was also involved in the plot.


It claimed that Russian pilots were promised passports from EU members states, and substantial cash rewards in order to participate in the plot.

According to RT Ukrainians compiled a list of Russian military hardware, using publicly available information. They promised monetary rewards for potential defectors who managed to bring the equipment with them. The more elaborate the weapons were, the better the rewards that were promised, with warplanes, helicopters and tanks fetching the top payment of up to $1 million, alleged RT.

Ukraine appeared to be specifically interested in Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers and Tu-22M3 strategic aircraft, RT alleged.

A Su-34 pilot targeted in the plot told RT that he was initially reluctant to speak with the Ukrainians. Later he tipped off Russian intelligence, which then monitored subsequent conversations.

Since most financial transactions between Russia and foreign countries has been heavily restricted under Western sanctions, the pilots were to be paid in cash through an elaborate network of couriers. The FSB says it has detained the man who had allegedly hired the couriers to deliver the money, and the suspect made a rather unexpected revelation.

During the negotiations with the pilots, Ukrainian intelligence, according to RT was able to procure two legitimate EU passports – one Slovakian and one Romanian – for wives of the pilots, as a guarantee for the would-be ‘defectors’.