Russians pose as law enforcement agents or women on dating websites to recruit Ukrainians

The Security Service of Ukraine has said that Russian secret services have intensified attempts to recruit Ukrainians to commit arson, sabotage and other crimes – the Russians pose as Ukrainian law enforcement officers or register as "girls" on dating websites.

Source: Security Service of Ukraine (SSU)

Quote: "The Russians have increased the number of so-called 'false flag' operations: they pose as employees of law enforcement agencies of Ukraine and under various pretexts force citizens to prepare arson attacks, terrorist attacks and sabotage."

Details: The SSU described several algorithms of actions used by representatives of Russian secret services:

• They call or message people and introduce themselves as employees of SSU, Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, National Anti-Corruption Bureau or other law enforcement agencies;
• They blackmail people with criminal liability (for example, for alleged "purchase of medical drugs on Russian websites");
• They send summons about the alleged opening of criminal proceedings and offer to help close it for money or in exchange for performing certain tasks.

In addition, the SSU says that representatives of Russian secret services create fake female accounts on dating websites, communicate with Ukrainian men and extract their personal data and contacts.

"Later, a Russian handler contacts a user of the service, posing as an 'employee of the Security Service of Ukraine', and accuses him of cooperating with the Russian Federation. The pretext is communication with a 'fake' girl who is allegedly 'linked to hostile secret services'. In order to avoid 'liability', the target is offered cooperation," the SSU said.

It is noted that citizens recruited in this way are forced to commit various illegal actions. For example, to surveil a certain person, transport packages from one address to another, purchase chemical components and make improvised explosive devices, set fire to vehicles of defence forces and so on.

The SSU stressed that Ukrainian security forces do not give residents any dubious "tasks" and urged citizens to be cautious when contacting unknown persons.

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