{"id":7169,"date":"2025-06-05T12:02:32","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T12:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/russia-impersonating-ukraines-security-service-to-recruit-saboteurs-sbu-warns\/"},"modified":"2025-06-05T12:02:32","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T12:02:32","slug":"russia-impersonating-ukraines-security-service-to-recruit-saboteurs-sbu-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/russia-impersonating-ukraines-security-service-to-recruit-saboteurs-sbu-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia impersonating Ukraine’s security service to recruit saboteurs, SBU warns"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Russia<\/p>\n

Russian intelligence operatives are impersonating Ukraine\u2019s Security Service (SBU) in an expanded effort to recruit Ukrainian civilians for sabotage operations, the SBU said June 5.<\/p>\n

The new tactic, described<\/a> by the agency as a \u201cfalse flag\u201d operation, involves contacting Ukrainian citizens while posing as SBU officials conducting official inquiries. The SBU said this marks a notable escalation and shift in Russia\u2019s recruitment strategy.<\/p>\n

“This is a so-called special operations technique known as ‘false flag,’ which has not been used by Russian invaders until now, but which they are actively trying to apply now,” the agency said in a statement.<\/p>\n

According to the SBU<\/a>, targeted individuals typically receive messages via instant messaging apps, instructing them to report to an \u201cSBU investigator\u201d regarding fabricated criminal charges. <\/p>\n

That \u201cassistance,\u201d however, comes with strings attached. Victims are pressured into carrying out tasks ranging from surveillance and courier duties to transferring funds. In more serious cases, they are asked to purchase chemicals for explosive devices, set fire to Ukrainian military<\/a> vehicles or conduct sabotage against government buildings.<\/p>\n

“In some cases, Russian curators also demand that malicious software be installed on the victim’s phone, allowing them to monitor activity and location in real time,” the SBU statement said.<\/p>\n

While earlier recruitment efforts focused largely on teenagers, the SBU warned that elderly Ukrainians are now increasingly being targeted. The agency said it has disrupted several of these operations in recent weeks but did not provide specific examples.<\/p>\n

Since the start of Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian officials say the Kremlin has stepped up intelligence-gathering and subversive activity inside Ukraine<\/a>, with particular focus on coercing civilians into supporting reconnaissance and sabotage efforts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
Putin rejects Zelensky\u2019s call for peace talks, accuses Ukraine of deadly bridge attack in Russia<\/div>\n
Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 4 accused Ukraine of being governed by a terrorist regime that deliberately targets civilians and claimed it is continuing to lose the war. He rejected the possibility of holding talks.<\/div>\n
\"RussiaThe Kyiv Independent<\/span>Olena Goncharova<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"Russia<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

– https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ukraine\/rss\/<\/p>\n

This article appeared on the websitekyivindependent.com
\nThis article is taken based on Law no. 8\/1996 of Romania. News does not enjoy copyright, so they can be taken, this is our right to take news and information in its entirety and distribute them further. The content was made available to us through the rss mechanism
\nOriginal Content<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Russian intelligence operatives are impersonating Ukraine\u2019s Security Service (SBU) in an expanded effort to recruit Ukrainian civilians for sabotage operations, the SBU said June 5. The new tactic, described by the agency as a \u201cfalse flag\u201d operation, involves contacting Ukrainian citizens while posing as SBU officials conducting official inquiries. The SBU said this marks a […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":7170,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1152,1],"tags":[6915,3172,1171,6916,1252,1850,1945,123,1168,1957],"class_list":["post-7169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kyivindependent","category-news","tag-impersonating","tag-recruit","tag-russia","tag-saboteurs","tag-sbu","tag-security","tag-service","tag-to","tag-ukraines","tag-warns"],"yoast_head":"\nRussia impersonating Ukraine's security service to recruit saboteurs, SBU warns - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/russia-impersonating-ukraines-security-service-to-recruit-saboteurs-sbu-warns\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Russia impersonating Ukraine's security service to recruit saboteurs, SBU warns - News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Russian intelligence operatives are impersonating Ukraine\u2019s Security Service (SBU) in an expanded effort to recruit Ukrainian civilians for sabotage operations, the SBU said June 5. The new tactic, described by the agency as a \u201cfalse flag\u201d operation, involves contacting Ukrainian citizens while posing as SBU officials conducting official inquiries. 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