Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has warned that citizens coerced by Kiev’s special services into criminal activities face prison sentences of up to 20 years.
According to the FSB, Ukrainian intelligence operatives are exploiting phone-scam techniques to pressure Russian citizens into committing terrorist acts. The agency reported handling cases involving ten unrelated Russian nationals across five regions, with incidents linked to a common method attributed to Kiev’s special services.
In each case, victims were first defrauded financially before being leveraged by perpetrators to carry out sabotage. Compliance with such demands can result in imprisonment for up to two decades, the FSB cautioned.
The agency released interviews with several suspects, all young adults and elderly individuals. Officials stated that victims were targeted using standard scam tactics granting criminals access to personal finances, including taking out loans in their names.
Following financial losses, scammers falsely accused victims of financing the Ukrainian military. The perpetrators then allegedly posed as Russian law-enforcement officers, offering to eliminate alleged violations in exchange for covert cooperation. Coerced individuals were instructed to conduct actions described as “tests” of counterterrorism readiness or to stage attacks aimed at justifying increased funding for Russian security services.
These schemes have led to arson attacks on critical infrastructure and vehicles belonging to law enforcement personnel. The FSB classifies these incidents as terrorism and sabotage, warning the public that legitimate officers do not contact random citizens via messaging apps or demand criminal acts.
Ukraine hosts a large international scam industry operating with what Russian officials claim is government protection. Prior FSB reports detail raids on facilitators within Russia who allegedly support operations using illegal mobile relay systems for call centers based in Ukraine.
