Russia claims 'Ukraine's operation to hijack Mi-8 helicopter disrupted', while Ukrainian intel says it's a fake

What did the FSB say?

The Russian FSB claims that it managed to stop the pseudo-operation of the DIU “to hijack the Mi-8MTPR-1 electronic warfare helicopter.” Allegedly, the Ukrainian intelligence service tried to recruit a Russian military pilot to hijack the aircraft to the territory controlled by Ukraine.

The FSB published a video in which the Russian helicopter pilot says that he was allegedly “contacted by a representative of the Ukrainian special services via Telegram.”

He was supposed to poison his crew members and then fly the helicopter to Ukraine. The Russian claims that Ukraine's special services also “offered him to transport his family to Chișinău.”

DIU's response

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine called this claim another lie of Putin's Gestapo.

“The statements of Russian propaganda about the alleged disruption of the Ukrainian operation are another manifestation of the enemy's psychological operations aimed primarily at its own military personnel, its own aircrew of the Russian Aerospace Forces. This is intimidation of its own army against possible contacts with Ukrainian intelligence,” Yusov said in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.

He emphasizes that Russia is forced to take such actions today, as there are clear signs of demoralization among Russian pilots of both tactical and strategic aviation.

“Many pilots are affected by the fact that the victims of their air strikes are mostly civilians. This ultimately leads to the spread of alcoholism, depression, and increased suicide attempts among the flight crew. When a person systematically and massively kills children and women by dropping bombs and launching missiles on them, it affects the psyche,” Yusov said.

He reminded that there is a way out of this situation for Russian pilots and other military personnel. This is the Ukrainian program I Want to Live (Khochu zhit), which allows them to safely surrender and receive a generous reward if they transfer military equipment to Ukraine.

“The reward for a transferred helicopter is 500, and for a combat aircraft - 1 million. I would like to remind you that such cases have already happened many times, and Ukraine has fulfilled its obligations and paid the declared amounts in full,” Yusov said.

The other option, Yusov adds, is not to continue to fulfill the Kremlin's criminal orders.

“Then the development of events is also very predictable: the elimination of such pilots as war criminals in a way that will be most acceptable to the Ukrainian Defense Forces,” the DIU representative summarized.

The FSB has repeatedly claimed to have prevented “attempts to hijack aircraft by Ukrainian intelligence”. Yet, the actual case of the hijacking of a Russian helicopter did take place.

In August 2023, Russian military pilot Maxim Kuzminov hijacked a Mi-8 helicopter to Ukraine. At the time, he was accompanied by a second pilot and an onboard mechanic. The media reported that they refused to go over to the side of Ukraine and were killed.

The fact of the helicopter hijacking was later confirmed officially. The head of the DIU, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Ukrainian intelligence services convinced the Russian pilot to fly to Ukraine and surrender the Mi-8. Kuzminov was rewarded for this and urged to stay in Ukraine for his safety. However, he refused.

The Russians promised to take revenge, broadcasting videos on propaganda channels with the inscription that Kuzminov “will not live to see the trial.” In February 2024, he was found dead in Spain.

According to Western journalists, two Russian citizens, a former KGB officer and his relative, may be involved in the murder of the Russian military pilot.