Russian special services recruit Ukrainians by posing as the SSU

Russian special services recruit Ukrainians by posing as the SSU

Russian special services are introducing a new tactic to recruit Ukrainians: they pretend to be representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine.

This is reported by the SSU press center.

"Recently, there has been an increase in cases where the enemy poses as an ’SSU officer’ and assigns criminal tasks that allegedly need to be completed ’in the interests of the Ukrainian State.’

This is a so-called false flag operation, which was not previously used by the Russian invaders, but they are now actively trying to apply it," the message stated.

It is noted that in recent weeks, the SSU has prevented several such crimes and urges Ukrainians to be vigilant and not to fall for enemy provocations.

In addition, the recruitment tactic increasingly used by Russian special services involves sending a subpoena via messenger to citizens, demanding they appear for questioning by an SSU investigator due to an allegedly open criminal case. Usually, the fabricated reason for this ’case’ is the purchase of ’goods banned in Ukraine.’

Thereafter, unknown persons contact the citizen by phone offering help in ’closing the criminal case.’ To ’resolve the issue,’ they demand the fulfillment of tasks they assign:

• monitor the movements of a certain person;
• transfer unknown items from one address to another;
• make a monetary transfer to an unknown card, supposedly for ’donations to the Armed Forces of Ukraine’;
• purchase necessary chemical elements and make an improvised explosive device;
• set fire to a Defence Forces vehicle or administrative building;
• carry out a sabotage operation, etc.

During these contacts, Russian supervisors also demand the installation of malicious software on the phone, which they use for tracking the device owner.

If earlier the priority targets for recruitment by Russian special services were teenagers, now it includes also older individuals.

"We emphasize that the Security Service of Ukraine operates strictly within the framework of current Ukrainian law. SSU representatives do not require the installation of third-party software on a phone and in no case assign any dubious ’tasks.’

If you receive a subpoena that seems suspicious or have contact with unknown individuals claiming to be SSU officers, please contact the official Security Service chat-bot: t.me/spaly_fsb_bot. Or report such cases to the SSU hotline: 0 800 501 482," the SSU urges.