Russian agents have allegedly employed online methods, reminiscent of video games, to recruit Ukrainian teenagers for carrying out acts of terrorism across Europe. Using platforms like TikTok and Telegram, these agents assign tasks, often under playful code names inspired by pop culture, to encourage young Ukrainians to engage in violent activities, according to reports from France 24 and The New York Times.
Lithuanian prosecutors revealed that one agent operated under the code name “Q,” a nod to the fictional gadget master from the James Bond series. They reported multiple instances of recruitment, with one Ukrainian teenager, Vlad, 17, stating he received $30 for attempting to collect a hidden grenade and was offered $1,500 to set fire to a van belonging to a Ukrainian conscription center. He claimed to have received approximately $100 in cryptocurrency for this second task.
In a more serious incident, Daniil Bardadim, 18, pleaded guilty to planting an explosive device in an IKEA store in Vilnius, Lithuania. He was sentenced to over three years in prison after being found guilty of committing terrorist acts. Prosecutors noted that his actions aligned with the interests of the Russian military and security services. Notably, the attack on IKEA was attributed to the company’s withdrawal from Russia and Sweden’s support of Ukraine.
In another case, a 19-year-old Ukrainian woman was apprehended in April for allegedly constructing and planting an explosive device inside an e-scooter intended for the Ukrainian armed forces. Furthermore, a 16-year-old from Kharkiv, Ukraine, was arrested by Polish authorities in October on allegations of facilitating recruitment for these attacks.
Experts are alarmed by the tactics being employed. Elena Grossfield, a researcher at King’s College London, described the methodology as gamified, where tasks resemble a real-life version of Pokémon Go, involving information gathering and delivery. She emphasized that this approach prioritizes quantity over quality, contrasting sharply with traditional espionage tactics from the Soviet era.
According to the Ukrainian security service, approximately 800 Ukrainians, including around 240 minors, have been recruited by Russian agents. Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security has released videos urging young Ukrainians to refrain from collaborating with Russian operatives.
The trend of recruitment has reportedly begun to decline due to increased arrests, but observers like Huseyn Aliyev from the University of Glasgow note that the scheme is evolving. He indicated that tasks have shifted from creating Molotov cocktails to planting more dangerous explosive devices.
Erik Stijnman, a specialist at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, pointed out that young people are particularly vulnerable to these operations. They often find the activities thrilling without fully grasping the potential consequences for themselves and their country. Ukrainian officials have reported attempts to recruit children as young as 10 years old.
The implications of these actions extend beyond immediate security concerns. Stijnman suggested that the visible involvement of Ukrainians in such attacks could undermine support for Ukraine in Western nations. He stated, “That’s probably the point of these operations — that it sends a strong signal that Ukrainians are turning against Europe — so why would we support them?”
Grossfield warned that these operations put Ukrainian refugees at risk, fostering suspicion towards them in host countries. This shift in public perception could make them more susceptible to recruitment by Russian agents, potentially exacerbating the crisis and undermining their safety.
