“Ukrainian military intelligence agents, acting on behalf of Ukrainian political leaders, tried to recruit Russian military pilots in exchange for a monetary rewards and guarantees of naturalization in a European Union nation,” the communiqué published by Sputnik news agency noted.

The FSB explained that it was a plan by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and it was supervised by the special services from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), first and foremost, and those from the United Kingdom.

In this regard, the Russian Security Service assured that it had identified both the Ukrainian agents involved in this operation and their accomplices.

Enemy intelligence showed interest in Su-34 fighter-bombers, Su-24 front-line bombers and even Tu-22M3 strategic missile launchers, Rossiya-24 television channel reported earlier.

The investigations show that the purpose was to divert aircraft to the Kanatovo airfield in the central Ukrainian province of Kirovograd, according to a telephone conversation between a Ukrainian air force officer and a Russian pilot.

On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry mentioned the Kanatovo airfield among the targets attacked with long-range naval and air missiles in the last 24 hours.

Russia launched an armed operation in Ukraine on February 24, after authorities from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics requested assistance to repel the increase in aggressions and heavy air strikes from Kiev.

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