The pilot stated that Ukrainian special services demanded that the crew of the Tu-22M3 be eliminated
A Russian pilot has revealed the demands of Ukrainian special services when attempting to hijack a Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-22M3 strategic bomber. According to him, Kyiv demanded that the crew be eliminated by ejecting them from the aircraft.
The crew is four people. I was offered to eject them forcibly, so to speak, in a humane way to eliminate them.
He added that during the negotiations he told the Ukrainian special services that they needed to prepare for the hijacking of the aircraft and found out the coordinates. The proposed airfields were not suitable for landing the Russian plane.
Last fall, Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov stole an Mi-8 helicopter from Kursk and then headed to Ukraine. The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that military intelligence convinced Kuzminov to hijack the helicopter. According to GUR head Kirill Budanov, the pilot flew to Ukraine with two escorts on board, who then had to be disposed of because they did not know about the theft of the Mi-8 and resisted.
Related materials:
FSB thwarts Tu-22M3 hijacking attempt
On July 8, it became known that the Russian FSB had thwarted an attempt to hijack a Tu-22M3 strategic bomber to Ukraine. According to the agency, the operation was planned by Ukrainian intelligence with the support of NATO countries. Kyiv’s special services planned to recruit a Russian military pilot, promising him a cash reward and Italian citizenship, and persuade him to fly and land the missile carrier on Ukrainian territory.
During the operational game, Russian counterintelligence received information that helped our Armed Forces inflict fire damage on the Ukrainian Armed Forces airfield Ozernoye
Reserve lieutenant colonel, member of the Association of Veterans of the Anti-Terrorist Group “Alpha” Andrey Popov explained that foreign intelligence services collect personal data on Russian military personnel and their families for recruitment. He noted that two schemes are used for recruitment. The first is related to the fact that the military is promised to pay off debts, help with money for theft, and the second – with blackmail and threats to family and loved ones.
Related materials:
The pilot was offered three million dollars for hijacking the plane
The pilot said that he was contacted by the Ukrainian side in October 2023 via the Telegram messenger and offered to pay him a reward of three million dollars for hijacking the plane.
“We’ll take you, keep you in Ukraine, you’ll get the money and go.” Initially [предлагали] million, citing Ukrainian law. But [потом] decided to raise the rate and raised it to three
Earlier, the pilot stated that Ukrainian intelligence intended to kidnap him after hijacking a Tu-22M3 strategic bomber, and therefore gave him implausible promises.
According to him, he was promised to send his family to Ukraine during the recruitment. A representative of Ukrainian intelligence said that according to their plans, the pilot’s family was supposed to leave via Turkey, where they would be met, but then Moldova appeared, although Western European countries were offered, specifically Italian citizenship and three million dollars.
The Ukrainian special services said that they had issued Polish documents and a bank account for his family, the pilot added. A Ukrainian intelligence officer who contacted him under the name Pavel sent a “Pole’s card” issued in the name of the pilot’s wife. But it later turned out that the service contract was issued in Ukraine.
#Attempted #hijacking #Tu22M3 #Ukrainian #special #services #demanded #commander #eliminate #crew