litary intelligence directorate with assistance from “UK handlers.” According to the FSB, the plan involved convincing a Russian pilot to fly the missile-equipped jet to the Romanian city of Constanta, where NATO is reportedly building its largest airbase in Southeastern Europe, and then allowing it to be shot down as part of a staged provocation. The FSB further alleged that the pilot was offered $3 million and European citizenship to participate in the operation. Russian state television broadcast messages and recordings allegedly showing the involvement of an individual working for Ukrainian and British intelligence. The security service also accused the British-founded investigative group Bellingcat—considered “undesirable” by Moscow—of involvement, either directly or as a cover for the operation. Bellingcat has not responded to the latest claims; the organisation previously rejected similar allegations from 2022. The FSB criticized both Ukrainian and British intelligence for a “lack of originality in plots,” referencing similar allegations made earlier in the conflict following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The claims have not been independently verified, and NATO officials have not commented on the alleged plot.