On Monday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) stated it had prevented a Ukrainian intelligence operation aimed at hijacking a Tu-22M3 missile-carrying strategic bomber. According to the FSB, Ukrainian operatives, allegedly with support from Western intelligence agencies, had offered a Russian Aerospace Forces pilot $2 million and Italian citizenship to fly the bomber to Ukraine. The FSB did not provide verifiable evidence to support these claims.
The FSB’s announcement, reported by TASS and The Moscow Times, suggested that Ukrainian intelligence sought to recruit the pilot, who then informed his superiors about the plot. The FSB used the information to execute a strike on the Ozerne airfield in northwestern Ukraine, where the plane was supposedly intended to land. However, details of the strike, including its timing, remain unclear.
🇺🇦🇷🇺 Hijack of Strategic Bomber Attempted by #Ukraine Claims #Russia:
A #Russian military pilot who flew Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bombers was contacted by #Ukrainian intelligence in an attempt to bribe him to fly a bomber to Ukraine for them to capture claimed Russia’s… pic.twitter.com/FXgDx2KSrr
— Atlas News (@atlasnewsco) July 11, 2024
The Tu-22M3, also known by its NATO designation “Backfire-C,” is a long-range supersonic bomber capable of carrying a variety of weaponry, including conventional bombs and nuclear missiles. The aircraft can reach speeds of Mach 1.88 and has a combat range of approximately 2,500 kilometers. Its advanced systems include terrain-following radar and electronic countermeasures.
The FSB claimed that the pilot had been in communication with Ukrainian operatives, who promised substantial financial rewards and Italian citizenship. Kremlin-leaning Telegram channels released purported screenshots of these communications, but the authenticity of these images has not been independently verified.
This is not the first instance where Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting to recruit military personnel for espionage or defection. In the summer of 2022, the FSB reported thwarting a similar plot involving the acquisition of various Russian military aircraft, including the Tu-22M3. Additionally, in August 2023, Ukrainian intelligence successfully persuaded a Russian helicopter pilot to defect with his Mi-8 helicopter to Ukraine, for which he received $500,000 and a Ukrainian passport. The pilot was later found dead in Spain under suspicious circumstances.
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