Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said that it thwarted an attempt by Ukrainian intelligence to recruit a Russian pilot to hijack a Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic bomber jet.
In a statement on Monday, the FSB said Ukraine's special services promised the Russian pilot Italian citizenship and money as part of a deal that would see him "fly and land a missile carrier in Ukraine."
Russia's Tu-22M3 jet, which has the NATO code name Backfire, is described by its designer Tupolev as a long-range supersonic missile carrier bomber that uses aerial bombs and guided missiles to destroy sea- and ground-based targets.
Kyiv's forces have said the bomber jet is frequently used by Russian troops to attack Ukraine amid the ongoing war. It is capable of bearing Kh-22 cruise missiles that can carry nuclear warheads.
"The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation has thwarted yet another attempt by Ukrainian special services to carry out an operation to hijack a long-range strategic bomber Tu-22M3 of the Russian Aerospace Forces abroad," the FSB's press service said, Russia's state-run news agency Interfax reported.
"Ukrainian intelligence intended to recruit a Russian military pilot for a monetary reward and the provision of Italian citizenship, to persuade him to fly and land a missile carrier in Ukraine," the FSB said, alleging NATO involvement in the plot.
The FSB added that, during the operation, it received information that helped Russia's military strike Ukraine's northwestern Ozerne airfield.
Newsweek couldn't independently verify the FSB's claims and contacted Ukrainian authorities and NATO for comment by email.
The FSB of the russian Federation said that they prevented the recruitment of a russian pilot and the hijacking of a Tu-22M3 strategic bomber
— Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 (@jurgen_nauditt) July 8, 2024
Apparently, Ukraine and NATO special services wanted to recruit a russian pilot for $2 million and Italian citizenship.
For this, he… pic.twitter.com/VP8k5dlhdN
The FSB released a video that purportedly shows the Russian pilot, whose face is covered by a helmet. Ukrainian intelligence contacted him on the Telegram messaging service and attempted to recruit him, he said.
"An unknown person wrote on Telegram. No morals, no ethics - immediately started with threats against my close relatives. Demanded that the aircraft be set on fire," the pilot said.
"I went to the command and told everything. My interlocutor did not even hide the fact that he was from the Ukrainian special services. He introduced himself as Pavlo, offered to hijack a combat aircraft to Ukrainian territory. But not just any aircraft, but a long-range bomber-missile carrier, a carrier of nuclear weapons," he added.
Ukraine has frequently targeted Russian military bases with drones, saying they are legitimate military targets in the war.
Last August, Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on a military airfield in the Novgorod region in northern Russia where Tu-22M3 bombers were believed to be based.
"A fire broke out in the aircraft parking lot, which was quickly extinguished. One plane was damaged, no one was injured," the Russian Defense Ministry said at the time.
Photos later emerged online appearing to show at least one Russian Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber aircraft in flames.
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