Russia’s Federal Security Service says it thwarted a Ukrainian and British plan aimed at provoking an international incident involving NATO.
According to reports from Russian state media, the Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have prevented a joint operation by Ukrainian and British intelligence that sought to hijack a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
The FSB stated that the plan was orchestrated by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (GUR) in cooperation with British agents. The goal, it said, was to stage a “large-scale provocation” against a NATO facility in southeastern Europe.
Plan involved Russian pilot and $3 million offer
Russian authorities claim that the operation included an attempt to recruit Russian pilots who were allegedly offered $3 million to hijack the aircraft. The fighter jet was to be flown abroad and then directed toward a NATO base located in Constanța, Romania.
The plan reportedly envisioned the MiG-31, armed with a Kinzhal missile, being flown into the area of the base and potentially shot down by allied air defense systems—creating an international incident between Russia and NATO.
“The [Ukrainian] intelligence service planned to bring the aircraft, armed with a Kinzhal missile, to the largest NATO air base in southeastern Europe, located in Constanța, Romania, where it could have been shot down by air defense systems,” the FSB said in a statement quoted by Russian media. “The measures taken thwarted the plans of Ukrainian and British intelligence to carry out a large-scale provocation,” the agency added.
Strategic NATO base on the Black Sea
The Constanța air base is considered one of NATO’s key military facilities in southeastern Europe. According to sources cited by Russian media, once the ongoing expansion works are completed, it is expected to become the largest base of the alliance in Europe, even surpassing the U.S. base in Ramstein, Germany.
The expansion project includes doubling the existing runway, building new hangars, fuel depots, and an additional runway for aircraft and combat drones.
Context and repercussions
The alleged plot emerges amid rising tensions between Moscow and NATO, especially following the alliance’s increased military presence in Eastern Europe. Russia has repeatedly warned that any Western interference in its operations would be seen as a direct provocation.
The Kinzhal missile, launched from the MiG-31K, is one of the most advanced weapons in Russia’s arsenal, capable of reaching hypersonic speeds and striking strategic targets over long distances.
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Source: Russian state-controlled media — TV-Novosti | Zvezdanews | Ministry of Defense of Russia.
