Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has launched a new phase of a nationwide information campaign to counter the recruitment of Ukrainians by Russian special services, the SBU said.
The SBU said on Telegram on Tuesday that the campaign’s main goal is to warn people about the methods the enemy uses to recruit citizens for arson, sabotage, terrorist attacks and other crimes against Ukraine.
"The recruitment process usually begins with an ordinary message on social media or a messenger app. Russian special services increasingly use psychological manipulation. The enemy poses as an employer, a volunteer or a law enforcement officer, and uses dating websites, all just to gain trust. That is why the campaign’s main message is: ‘the FSB will pretend to be anyone to turn you into a traitor,’" the agency said.
Four informational videos included in the SBU’s announcement illustrate the most common recruitment scenarios used by enemy special services.
The SBU said it has recorded more than 300 Russian sabotage and terrorist attempts in 2026 alone. Of these, the SBU and National Police uncovered 249 cases and prevented 84.
The SBU again urged citizens to be especially vigilant about suspicious messages from strangers.
"If someone offers easy money or asks you to carry out a suspicious task — dropping off an unknown package, photographing a site, buying certain materials at a hardware store, or passing on information — you should immediately report it to law enforcement. Call the SBU’s toll-free hotline at 1516 or message the official ‘Burn the FSB agent’ chatbot (t.me/spaly_fsb_bot) on Telegram," the agency said.
