Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it stopped a Ukrainian intelligence operation allegedly aimed at hijacking a MiG-31 fighter jet to provoke NATO.
According to a statement carried by the state-run news agency TASS on Tuesday, Ukrainian military intelligence, with support from “British handlers,” tried to recruit Russian pilots to steal the supersonic jet armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
The pilots were allegedly offered $3 million to deliver the aircraft to Ukraine.
The FSB claimed that after obtaining the jet, Ukrainian intelligence planned to fly it toward NATO’s largest air base in southeastern Europe – located near the Romanian city of Constanța – so that it could be shot down by air defenses, triggering an international incident.
An unnamed FSB officer said the investigative group Bellingcat was involved in the alleged plot, calling it a “so-called journalistic organization controlled by the UK.”
The officer also claimed Ukrainian intelligence considered poisoning the MiG-31’s commander so that the co-pilot could take over and complete the hijacking.
“The plans of Ukrainian and British intelligence to stage a large-scale provocation have been foiled,” the FSB said.
The FSB did not provide evidence to support its claims, and there has been no immediate comment from Ukraine, NATO, or Bellingcat.
About the NATO base in Constanta
TASS said the base in question is the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in southeastern Romania, which is being expanded into what Romanian authorities describe as NATO’s largest military base in Europe.
Romanian and European media report that the project covers nearly 3,000 hectares – roughly the size of a small town – and will permanently house up to 10,000 NATO troops and their families.
The 2.5 billion-euro project includes runways, hangars, weapons platforms, schools, kindergartens, shops, and a hospital.
According to Euronews Romania (euronews.ro), work began in 2024 on the base’s core infrastructure, including access roads and utility systems, with full operation expected by 2040.
About 5,000 NATO troops – mainly from the United States, Poland, France, and Spain – are currently stationed in Romania.
US to Downsize Troop Presence in Romania
Romania confirmed at the end of October that the United States will downsize its troop presence in the country.
Unnamed US and European officials earlier told Kyiv Post that the reductions would not exceed “more than a battalion” and would not “significantly impact US operations in the region.”
The Romanian Ministry of National Defense said the US plans to withdraw a brigade deployed to other European countries, leaving about 1,000 American soldiers at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base.
The US is also reducing its troop presence in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia, according to Romania Journal.
Romania’s Defense Ministry said the move was expected and reflected the new priorities of the US presidential administration, announced in February.
The decision also considered NATO’s strengthened presence on the eastern flank, which allows Washington to “adjust its military posture in the region,” the ministry said.
NATO confirmed the adjustment in a statement, saying the alliance “has robust defense plans in place” and continues to maintain “the right forces and capabilities to deter potential aggression.”