Decoy Pilot Agreed to Fly Su-30 Aircraft to Ukraine for $2M

A Federal Security Service (FSB) operative posing as Russian Air Force (RuAF) pilot agreed to fly his Su-30 fighter jet to Ukraine for $2 million and the possibility of foreign citizenship.

Russian media reported on Monday that the FSB had foiled a plot to hijack Russian aircraft to Ukraine. More details emerged today.

Ukrainian intelligence agents, allegedly acting at the behest of a Western secret service, gave an advance of $4,000 to the Russian 'pilot' to fly in his Su-30 jet to Ukraine, the Russian MoD's official TV channel Zvezda reported.

Ukrainian spies did not suspect that the pilot allegedly recruited by them was an FSB agent. They demanded to eliminate the navigator of the Su-30 aircraft with the help of a poison, so that he would not interfere with the flight to the Ukrainian airfield.

They sent secret maps with indications of heights and positions of their own air defenses so that the hijacked aircraft would take a safe route. This information was later used by the RuAF to bomb the air defense positions, the report said.

The operation to recruit Russian pilots and hijack combat aircraft such as - Su-24, Su-34, Tu-22M3 and Su-30 was planned by Ukrainian intelligence with the support of Western special services.

To recruit Russian pilots, Ukrainian military intelligence used social networks, Internet messengers, e-mail and mass mailing.

As a reward, they offered up to two million dollars and a new life in Europe: Berlin, Riga, Vilnius, Bucharest - to choose from. As well as a shelter for families, new identities and so on.

Russian pilots were only required to make a video of their aircraft to receive the advance. The money was to be handed over by two couriers.

As follows from the materials of the FSB, Ukrainian intelligence officers were not going to pay any money to Russian pilots. And not to export to any Europe either. In Ukraine, they were in for a show trial. And the hijacked planes were supposed to be passed off as intercepted.