In total, the Tu-22M3 crew includes four people.
“I was offered to expel them by force, so to speak, to eliminate them in a humane way, that is, to kill them,” said a Russian Aerospace Forces pilot in the air of “Russia-1.”
The pilot also said he was initially offered $1 million to hijack the bomber. The offers were later raised to $3 million.
On July 8, the Public Relations Center (PSC) of the Russian FSB reported that Ukrainian intelligence attempted to recruit a Russian pilot. In exchange for a monetary reward and the granting of Italian citizenship, the pilot had to land the Tu-22M3 missile carrier in Ukraine.
As a result of the operational game of Russian counterintelligence, data was obtained that allowed to attack the Ozernoye airfield of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, DsOS said.
The FSB also published images of the pilot. The officer later said that he was contacted by a representative of Ukrainian intelligence who introduced himself as “Pavlo.”
After threats against the Russian officer’s relatives, the Ukrainian demanded that he hand over data on the Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft and then hijack a supersonic bomber with long-range missiles. He was promised three million dollars, and Ukroboronprom promised to allocate a third of this amount.
kyiv promised the pilot that after the hijacking of the Russian Aerospace Forces plane, his family would be taken abroad. At the same time, according to the Russian officer, the promises seemed implausible. “They were just going to steal them and keep them,” the pilot said.
The Tu-22M3 is a long-range supersonic missile-carrying bomber designed to destroy sea and ground targets with guided missiles and aerial bombs.
It is a deeply modernized version of the Tu-22M2 with significantly expanded defensive and combat capabilities. The Tu-22M3 is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional (aeroballistic and cruise) missiles and bombs.
