Russian Intelligence Thwarts Ukrainian Plot to Hijack Electronic Warfare Helicopter

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said today that it prevented an attempt by Ukrainian military intelligence to hijack a Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic warfare helicopter belonging to the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS).

The FSB stated that the Ukrainian operation aimed to recruit a Russian military pilot to transfer the helicopter to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

The FSB’s investigation revealed that Ukrainian agents instructed the pilot to cross the combat contact line on a predetermined day and deliver the helicopter. According to the FSB, the plan involved the pilot incapacitating fellow crew members by poisoning them. Instead, the pilot disclosed the plot to his crew, who collaborated to disrupt the operation.

During counterintelligence efforts to foil the plot, Russian agents reportedly obtained intelligence on the locations of Ukrainian air defense positions and other units, leading to Russian artillery strikes on these targets.

In a similar incident earlier this year, the FSB reported an alleged Ukrainian plan to hijack Russian combat aircraft. The Ukrainian intelligence, reportedly under NATO oversight, had attempted to recruit Russian pilots with promises of financial rewards and EU citizenship. Russian intelligence claims it identified the Ukrainian operatives and their supporters involved in this earlier operation.