Russia claims UK and Ukraine plotted to hijack MiG-31 with Kinzhal missile
November 11, 2025
Russia has made another outlandish claim that the UK and Ukraine attempted to hijack a Russian fighter jet with a ‘hypersonic’ missile to stage a provocation.
Russian FSB claims Ukraine & UK planned to hijack MiG-31 with Kinzhal
Yesterday, Russia stated it had foiled an Anglo-Ukrainian plot to hijack a MiG-31 carrying a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile (NATO reporting name “AS-24 Killjoy”). The Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile developed from the ground-launched 9K720 Iskander missile.
Russia’s FSB says it prevented an alleged Ukrainian- and U.K.-backed attempt to steal a Russian MiG-31 jet reportedly equipped with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile. pic.twitter.com/zit6ugZOh4
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 11, 2025
According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the “goal of this criminal venture was to seize the aircraft and use it to stage a provocation against the largest NATO airbase in Romania, where the plane could then be shot down by alliance air defences.”
Russia says the goal was to create a false-flag attack and an excuse for intervention. Scores of drone and fighter jet incursions in Europe have led to calls for Russian jets to be shot down next time they violate NATO airspace. Separately, Russia used false-flag attacks as part of its casus belli to invade Ukraine in 2022.
The FSB alleged British operatives were offering $3 million to Russian pilots for a hijacked MiG-31. The fighter jet was to be flown to Mikhail Kogălniceanu airbase near Constanța, Romania.
It elaborated that the plot included poisoning the aircraft commander during flight via the oxygen mask. It added that this was not the first such case, citing an alleged incident three years ago where Ukraine offered $3 million for targeting a Russian Su-34.
Russia’s FSB claims it thwarted a Ukrainian intel op, allegedly backed by “British handlers”, to hijack a MiG-31 with a Kinzhal missile and provoke NATO by flying it toward Romania’s Constanța airbase. Supposedly, $3 million was offered via personal bank transfer.
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) November 11, 2025
Another… pic.twitter.com/BryETPeq8A
The FSB said all British and Ukrainian efforts in this alleged plot have been foiled.
Russia’s posturing with ‘wunderwaffe’
Russia’s relative technological and economic position is rapidly declining relative to a rapidly rising China, a rearming Europe, and the US refocusing on Great Power Competition. Russia has resorted to producing and claiming extraordinary next-generation weapons in an attempt to remain relevant.
Hypersonic weapons are one of Russia’s pet areas. Other example systems include the Zircon ‘hypersonic’ missile, the Poseidon nuclear torpedo, the Oreshnik missile, and the nuclear-powered 9M730 Burevestnik cruise missile.
Many of these systems have been met with ridicule by independent analysts, even as Russia’s army in Ukraine is forced to resort, in some extreme cases, to horses and donkeys to bring supplies to the front.
Russia falsely claims the Kinzhal is a ‘hypersonic’ missile as it reaches hypersonic speeds (Mach 5+) in certain phases of its flight. Essentially, all ballistic missiles reach hypersonic speeds at certain phases of their flight, even the original German WWII V-2 Rocket.
The Pentagon confirmed that Ukrainian fighters shot down a Russian Kinzhal missile with a Patriot air defense system, General Patrick Ryder said. pic.twitter.com/h0Z6o9stQ0
— Mike (@Doranimated) May 9, 2023
The US Army has previously confirmed in a June 2024 Fires Symposium that the missile slows down to Mach 3 during its terminal flight, and Western-supplied Patriot SAMs have intercepted the missile.
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Russia has a long history of hybrid war with West
While the claims about the British aiding Ukraine to hijack a MiG-31 may well be completely fabricated, there are plenty of well-attested incidents of countries bribing third parties to launch attacks on their behave.
In 2020, The New York Times reported Russian GRU agents were offering bounties (later reported to be $200,000) to Afghan militants to kill US soldiers. The Guardian later reported the US said it had low-to-medium confidence in these reports. The story resurfaced in early 2025 with more evidence.
In 2024, a Russian pilot called Maxim Kuzminov defected to Ukraine with his Mi-8 helicopter. He collected the reward money and was repatriated to Spain, where he was assassinated the following year.
In June 2025, Ukraine paid unwitting Russian truck drivers to drive trucks secretly laden with FPV drones outside Russian air force bases in Operation Spiderweb. Around 20% of Russia’s operational strategic bomber fleet was destroyed in the incident.
For years, tensions and mistrust between the United Kingdom and Russia have been high. Russia has long been accused of hostile acts on British soil, like the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal at Salisbury in 2018. Throughout the war in Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly accused the UK of hostile acts, with a common pattern being crediting successful Ukrainian operations to British operatives.
The UK and Russia came extremely close to direct conflict early in the Ukraine war. According to the BBC, in 2022, a rogue Russian Su-27 seemingly misunderstood an order and fired two missiles at a RAF RC-135W Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft operating in international waters over the Black Sea.
One missile malfunctioned, while the other also failed to hit the British aircraft for unknown reasons.
Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons
