Ukraine’s security agency SBU has claimed that Russia’s intelligence agencies are now provoking Ukrainian citizens, especially children and youth, for internal attacks. These youth are being assigned tasks like carrying money and planting money through social media platforms like Telegram. This strategy is part of Russia’s plan for “spreading internal instability”, so that it wants to weaken Ukraine from inside without direct attacking.
According to the report, Russia -supported handlers implicate the youth and unemployed by luring fake jobs on Telegram. First small works are given, such as photographs of government buildings, then gradually they are pushed into deadly works like carrying a live bomb.
In many cases, these young men do not even know what they are taking, and inadvertently become suicide bombers.
Rivne Case: Story from a common boy to becoming a bomber
19 -year -old Oleh, who was unemployed and needed money, got caught in a job of ‘fast money’ on Telegram. He was told that he just had to sprinkle a spray paint box outside the police station and would be given $ 1,000 instead.
But when he opened the bag, a bomb connected to a mobile was found inside. Seeing this, he got nervous and informed the police.
SBU was already monitoring these activities and immediately reached the spot and took Oleh and his friend Sergei into custody.
Psychological and digital abuse game
According to SBU, Russian curators express their emotional sympathy by calling themselves Ukrainian citizens. Sometimes they become helpful, sometimes threatened.
In a case, private photos were hacked from the phone of a minor girl and then forced to work by threatening to leak.
Many times, even after blocking the old curator, a new agent is added to the new name, which starts the work again.
More than 700 arrested, every fourth minor
Since January 2024, SBU has arrested more than 700 people on charges of terror and conspiracy, of which about 25% are minors. The age of the youngest arrested the youngest girl is said to be just 11 years.
SBU says that Russian agents do not directly contact the bomb makers and carrying people. Everything is done through digital medium – Telegram, Cryptocurrency, Video Guide.
In a case, a girl was sent video training to make bombs on telegram.
Is Europe also the next target?
Ukraine officials say Russia is doing all this in Ukraine, so that this model can be used in western countries as well.
Incidents like cyber attack, targeting railways, arson have already been seen in Europe – all these are part of this hybrid warfare.
Awareness campaign in schools
SBU has started a special education program in schools, where children are being taught how to be careful with online job offers. An official said, “As is said, free thing is only in the rat.”
Oleh and his friend Sergei are still in jail on charges of terrorism and conspiracy. If proved guilty, he can be sentenced to up to 12 years.
Oleh says that he did not know for whom he was working, but this lapse took away everything – his family, his honor and now his freedom.
He says, “My girlfriend said on the phone-never contact me now. The parents said-you are a fool.”