"Самолёт летит в Россию..."

Interestingly, in September 1970 Soviets initiated an operation with the task of hijacking one of Lebanese Air Force Mirage IIIELs. The Soviets contacted Lt. Mahmoud Mattar of the Lebanese Air Force, offering him $2 million for simulating an engine problem during a training flight, and then flying his aircraft at a very low level over Syria and Iraq to Baku. Lt. Mattar made the Soviets to believe that he accepted the offer, but revealed the affair to the Lebanese secret service, and within the following 15 days a trap was set up for the two Soviet officials, Vladimir Vassiliev (an engineer at the commercial mission of the Soviet embassy in Beirut), and Alexander Komiakov (first secretary at the same embassy and a Colonel of the GRU). In order to get some proof for his revelation, Lt. Mattar asked to get $200.000 in advance, paid by cheque (which is very unusual in such cases), three days in advance from the planned flight.



On 30 September 1969 Mattar and the two Russians met at Mattar's home in order to negotiate the last details, but then the agents of the Lebanese secret service intervenned. In the ensuing gun-fight the two Russians were both wounded. The subsequent investigation revealed that the Soviets intended to evaluate the Mirage in simulated air combats as their forces were at the time engaging the type flown by the Israelis during the War of Attrition.

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