A FSB military counterintelligence officer of the Russian Federation ran an Instagram using his own name and publishing photos of warplanes.

Bellingcat journalist Christo Grozev reported about this unprofessional incident.

Nikita Bukhtatov played a role in Ukrainian special services’ attempt to induce Russian aviators to fly their military aircraft to Ukraine. As a representative of Russian counter-intelligence Bukhtatov supervised military pilots.

His Instagram page featuring his real name was used to post a photo of IL-76 aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters at a military airfield. He used the planes as a backdrop for his own car with an undisguised license plate.

On July 25, the Russian Federation declared “success” in disrupting a Ukrainian special operation. The FSB claimed preventing the hijacking of a Su-34 fighter-bomber. According to the Russian side, the pilot was offered $1 million and life in the European Union, but the pilot immediately decided to cooperate with the FSB becoming a double agent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgE86IoDCgI

According to Grozev, the operation was indeed attempted. But neither the SSU nor the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine were involved in it. It was the initiative of former operatives. Bellingcat met them during the Wagner case investigation. At the same time, according to Grozev, Ukrainians immediately understood that the FSB got involved because of a series of unprofessional actions coming from Russian operatives.

In particular, they forced the pilot to make strange demands. For example, to take his “mistress” abroad instead of his wife. The woman was easily identified as a person connected to the FSB. Also, the Russian pilot asked to provide her with a new Russian passport claiming the old one was “torn by an ex-boyfriend.”

The Russian side reported that it managed to obtain secret data on Ukrainian air defense for “high-precision strikes.” Grozev claims that all information about the “corridors” in the airspace was deliberately distorted to mislead the Russians.