The Public Relations Center of the Russian Federal Security Service announced the thwarting of an attempt by Ukrainian intelligence, supported by NATO countries, to organize the hijacking of a strategic "Tu-22M3" bomber to Ukraine. The statement issued by the Russian Federal Security Service on Monday stated: "The Russian Federal Security Service has thwarted another attempt by Ukrainian security forces to carry out the hijacking of a long-range strategic bomber, the Tu-22M3, belonging to the Russian Air Force."
According to the statement, Ukrainian intelligence planned to recruit a Russian military pilot and convince him to fly the missile carrier and land in Ukraine in exchange for financial rewards and Italian citizenship. The statement added that the involvement of NATO intelligence agencies in preparing and executing the operation was revealed.
TASS Agency reported that Russia received information during the operation that helped its forces strike the Ozyerny military airport. It is noteworthy that the strategic "Tu-22M3" bomber is a supersonic, long-range missile bomber designed to destroy naval and ground targets using guided missiles and aerial bombs, capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional payloads.
**Five Killed in Landmine Explosion**
In related news, five civilians were killed when a landmine planted by Russian forces exploded in their vehicle on a road in a forest, as announced by the head of the Kharkiv Military Region, Oleg Sinegubov, on Monday. Sinegubov posted on X that the explosion occurred "near cemetery number 17 on an unpaved road in the forest leading to the village of Tsirkony," noting that the deceased included a 53-year-old man, two women aged 64 and 25, a five-year-old boy, and a three-month-old infant.
In the context, the governor of the Belgorod region in Russia, Vyacheslav Gladkov, announced on Monday that Ukrainian forces targeted towns in the region with more than 50 shells and around 30 drones over the past 24 hours, confirming that there were no casualties. Gladkov wrote on his Telegram channel: "In the Belgorod region, over the past 24 hours, the villages of Oktyabrskiy, Gurfaviovka, Krasny Khutor, Petrovka, Shitenovka, and Yasniy Zory were attacked, and in 4 shelling operations, 23 shells were fired along with 6 drones, 5 of which were shot down by air defense forces. As a result of these attacks, two private houses, a car, and a garage were damaged."
In the village of Baitasory in the Borisovka region, agricultural fields caught fire due to an explosive device dropped from a drone. The Valuiki area was targeted with 3 drones and 2 shells, while the Volokonovka area was hit by 1 drone and 3 shells, and the Krasnaya Yaroha area experienced 4 drones and 3 shells. The Grayvoron area was attacked by 4 drones and 13 shells, damaging a car and the roof of a social facility. The Shebekino area was targeted with 10 drones and 8 shells, with 7 drones being shot down, resulting in damage to two private houses, two cars, and a combine harvester.
