They call you — and suddenly, you’re an “agent,” without even realizing it. Ukrainian law enforcement is reporting a surge in cases where the Russians target pensioners by phone, impersonating officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) or the National Police. Victims are then blackmailed into carrying out sabotage missions for Russia, according to the National Police.

Russia’s strategy is clear: recruit people who are unaware they have become pawns in a campaign of international sabotage.

In Ukraine, elderly people are typically contacted via Viber. The goal: coerce them into following “orders” based on fake draft notices, fabricated criminal cases, or alleged links to Russia through purchases of medicines or dietary supplements.

One common scheme involves telling a pensioner that a drug they bought is banned because it was “produced in Russia.” That, the scammers claim, amounts to “collaboration with the enemy.” What follows is extortion — and a so-called “way out”: either wire money or complete a “small task.”

Pensioners in Kyiv have already contacted police after being defrauded or drawn into dangerous schemes. Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasizes that legitimate security agencies never issue illegal or covert orders to citizens.

According to the SBU, Russian operatives are also attempting to recruit minors. These efforts often begin with photographing sensitive sites or tagging graffiti, and escalate to acts of sabotage against railway and energy infrastructure.

Moreover, in Europe, the Russians recruit Ukrainian agents to cause a double wave: shock in the West and propaganda within Russia. 

A Polish citizen has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia, the Polish Prosecutor's Office announced on June 11.

According to prosecutors, 28-year-old Wiktor Z. was detained on June 4 by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) on charges of gathering and passing sensitive information to Russia's intelligence services. The arrest followed searches of several properties in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region in northern Poland, authorities said.

Warsaw has intensified its crackdown on Russian intelligence activity following a number of sabotage attacks allegedly directed by Moscow. Several suspected spy networks, allegedly run by Minsk and Moscow, have been uncovered in Poland over the past years.

Prosecutors said Wiktor Z. is suspected of offering to cooperate with Russian intelligence and engaging in espionage between February 2024 and April 2025 in the city of Bydgoszcz and abroad. He allegedly collected data about infrastructure critical to Poland's defense, the disclosure of which could pose a serious threat to national security.

The suspect acted "out of ideological and pro-Russian convictions," the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Wiktor Z. has been placed in pretrial detention for three months. If convicted, he faces a minimum of eight years in prison or up to a life sentence.

In May, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Krakow after accusing Russian intelligence of orchestrating a 2024 arson attack that destroyed the Marywilska shopping center in Warsaw.

Polish officials, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Justice Minister Adam Bodnar, have blamed the Kremlin for directing the sabotage, citing detailed intelligence. Multiple individuals have been arrested in connection with the fire, which burned down a complex housing over 1,400 stores.

Authorities in Lithuania have also linked Russia's intelligence services to similar sabotage incidents, including an arson attack on an IKEA warehouse in Vilnius, causing over half a million euros in damages. Polish and Lithuanian officials are reportedly cooperating on the investigations.

Russia has denied involvement and condemned Poland's move to shut down its diplomatic post, warning of retaliation.

Western officials have warned of a growing Russian sabotage campaign across Europe targeting states that support Ukraine amid Moscow's ongoing invasion.

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Two Russian agents were arrested by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) on June 7 after allegedly planting a car bomb targeting a Dnipro prosecutor on June 6.

"As the investigation established, the enemy agents turned out to be two men whom the Russian Federation recruited through Telegram channels," the SBU said.

Russian intelligence regularly attempts to recruit Ukrainian civilians over social media to carry out terrorist attacks or gather information in exchange for money.

The two men allegedly planted an improvised explosive device (IED) under the car of a Dnipro prosecutor's office employee.

"As a result of this crime, the law enforcement officer received minor injuries, and his vehicle was completely destroyed. According to doctors, the prosecutor's life is currently not in danger," the SBU said.

The detainees were instructed by Russian intelligence services to monitor the prosecutor, his daily schedule, and transport routes prior to the attack.

The two agents were then instructed to plant a car bomb and take photos and videos of the aftermath of the explosion.

"Currently, both detainees are giving law enforcement officers incriminating evidence against their curator and subversive work in the interests of the Russian Federation," the SBU said.

The two suspects are being charged with committing a terrorist attack and could face up to 12 years in prison.

On June 5, the SBU said Russian intelligence operatives are impersonating the SBU in an expanded effort to recruit Ukrainian civilians for sabotage operations.

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Russian intelligence operatives are impersonating Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) in an expanded effort to recruit Ukrainian civilians for sabotage operations, the SBU said June 5.

The new tactic, described by the agency as a “false flag” operation, involves contacting Ukrainian citizens while posing as SBU officials conducting official inquiries. The SBU said this marks a notable escalation and shift in Russia’s recruitment strategy.

"This is a so-called special operations technique known as 'false flag,' which has not been used by Russian invaders until now, but which they are actively trying to apply now," the agency said in a statement.

According to the SBU, targeted individuals typically receive messages via instant messaging apps, instructing them to report to an “SBU investigator” regarding fabricated criminal charges.

That “assistance,” however, comes with strings attached. Victims are pressured into carrying out tasks ranging from surveillance and courier duties to transferring funds. In more serious cases, they are asked to purchase chemicals for explosive devices, set fire to Ukrainian military vehicles or conduct sabotage against government buildings.

"In some cases, Russian curators also demand that malicious software be installed on the victim's phone, allowing them to monitor activity and location in real time," the SBU statement said.

While earlier recruitment efforts focused largely on teenagers, the SBU warned that elderly Ukrainians are now increasingly being targeted. The agency said it has disrupted several of these operations in recent weeks but did not provide specific examples.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian officials say the Kremlin has stepped up intelligence-gathering and subversive activity inside Ukraine, with particular focus on coercing civilians into supporting reconnaissance and sabotage efforts.

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Russian intelligence services are actively attempting to recruit Ukrainian nationals for illegal operations across the European Union, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said on June 2.

In a statement, the agency warned that Kremlin-linked operatives are offering money to vulnerable Ukrainians, particularly those from Russian-occupied territories, to conduct surveillance of critical infrastructure and carry out other tasks for the benefit of the Russian state.

"The recruitment of Ukrainians for hostile operations in Europe is yet another tool of hybrid aggression that the Russian Federation is waging against Ukraine and the entire European community," the agency said.

The intelligence agency urged Ukrainian citizens abroad to immediately report any contact with suspicious individuals to local law enforcement or Ukrainian diplomatic missions.

The warning comes amid a growing number of suspected Russian-directed sabotage and arson plots across Europe involving Ukrainian nationals.

British security officials are currently investigating possible Russian involvement in a series of arson attacks targeting properties linked to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Financial Times reported on May 23. The incidents include fires at Starmer's family home, a vehicle, and a former residence in London earlier this month.

Three men — Ukrainian nationals Roman Lavrynovych and Petro Pochynok, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc — have been charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life. Prosecutors allege they acted in coordination with unknown individuals, and U.K. authorities are examining whether Russian agents may have recruited them.

German authorities have also accused three Ukrainian nationals of being involved in a Russian-orchestrated parcel bomb plot, according to Der Spiegel. The suspects were arrested in May during coordinated raids in Germany and Switzerland.

In a separate case on May 12, Poland charged two Ukrainians in connection with suspected Russian-backed arson attacks at an IKEA store in Vilnius and a shopping mall in Warsaw in 2024.

Additionally, Russian intelligence is believed to be behind a July 2024 fire at a DHL airport logistics hub in Leipzig, Germany. Investigators said a flammable package sent from Lithuania was marked for delivery to a fake address in Birmingham, U.K.

Western officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of using covert sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation as part of its broader campaign to destabilize European nations that support Ukraine during the Russian large-scale war.

The Ukrainian intelligence agency emphasized that such operations rely on exploiting desperate individuals and weaponizing them against host countries. It called on European governments to remain vigilant and closely coordinate with Ukrainian security services.

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