Russia's Security Foils Ukrainian Intelligence Operation to Hijack Russian Aircraft

On Monday, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) managed to disrupt a Ukrainian military intelligence operation, supervised by NATO special services, to hijack Russian Air Force aircraft, according to the FSB's Center for Public Relations (CPR).

In a statement, CPR said, "The Federal Security Service has uncovered and suppressed an operation of Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, overseen by NATO special services, to hijack Russian Air Force combat aircraft."

The FSB reported that "officers of the Ukrainian military intelligence, acting on behalf of the political leadership of their country, tried to recruit Russian servicemen, promising money and guarantees of citizenship in one of the European Union countries. The Ukrainian intelligence officers tried to induce them to fly and land at airfields controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces.

As the Russian special service noted, the FSB counterintelligence service's detection of these plans also made it possible to strike a number of Ukrainian military facilities.

"In the course of the operation, Russian counterintelligence officers obtained information that helped our armed forces to strike a number of Ukrainian military facilities," the FSB reported.

In addition, Ukrainian intelligence officers involved in the operation and their accomplices were identified.