by DAVID KIRICHENKO
Ukraine has a growing problem that is difficult to solve. The Kremlin is using social media, namely Telegram, to recruit Ukrainian civilians to carry out terror attacks. In wartime, with the economy in a challenging state, people are easily tempted to make a quick buck
We publish this newsletter every day at 9:05am NYC time / 4:05pm Kyiv.Your subscription fuels our work.
And with the internet and access to messaging platforms such as Telegram, it’s easier than ever for foreign intelligence services to recruit civilians to carry out missions. Both Russia and Ukraine have used this tactic throughout the war. Early in the war, Ukrainian scammers convinced older Russian pensioners to firebomb Russian military offices.
There have been multiple cases where Russia has attempted to use children to conduct suicide bombings without their knowledge. Ukrainian police say that in 90% of cases, financial incentives are involved.
The most recent high-profile example involved a 69-year-old Ukrainian man from Kharkiv who was fed AI-generated images portraying a Ukrainian commander as a Russian collaborator. His Russian handler then arranged for him to receive a pistol, which he attempted to use to assassinate the commander. But the weapon failed to fire, and he was unable to carry out the attack.
According to 𝕏Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Russian intelligence recruitment is driven largely by money rather than ideology. “The foundation is poverty,” he said, adding that Ukrainian officials called recruits the “$300 people” because $300 was a standard recruitment price. “If $300 is a lot for someone, nothing you can do. Someone will always take the money.”
In March 2025, two teenagers in Ivano-Frankivsk were recruited on Telegram with promises of easy money. They planted a bomb on instructions from their handler, and one was killed while the other was injured.
