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Military operation in Ukraine

Kremlin lauds FSB’s work in foiling plot to hijack Russian warplanes

On Monday, it was reported that an attempt by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry to hijack Russia’s Aerospace Forces planes was conducted with the support of Western intelligence

MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. The Kremlin has heaped praise on the work of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), which thwarted a scheme to hijack warplanes belonging to the Russian Aerospace Force.

"This is definitely extremely effective work by our counterintelligence agents and this is why we give it a high mark," Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news briefing.

FSB reported on Monday that an attempt by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry to hijack Russia’s Aerospace Forces planes was conducted with the support of Western intelligence, primarily, of British special services.

The FSB also noted that a Bellingcat (recognized as a foreign agent in Russia) reporter, Christo Grozev, participated in the operation. For instance, he found two delivery drivers in Moscow to hand over an advance payment to Russian pilots who allegedly agreed to participate in the hijacking.

Earlier, the FSB stated that it uncovered and foiled a NATO-sponsored operation by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry to hijack Russian Aerospace Forces warplanes. According to a video recording of a conversation with a Ukrainian military intelligence agent, they were ready to pay up to $2 million for a hijacked Russian warplane.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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