Lithuania Alerts Schools to Russian Intelligence Recruitment Attempts Targeting Teenagers
Lithuanian authorities have issued a nationwide warning to schools, cautioning that Russian intelligence services may be attempting to recruit teenagers for covert and potentially dangerous operations.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Delfi.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of Lithuania, in coordination with the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC), released official guidance following reports that similar tactics were previously used by Russian agents in Ukraine. Officials fear such strategies may now be extended to other European countries, including Lithuania.
“We’ve developed specific recommendations for schoolchildren and adolescents, which will be introduced across educational institutions,” said NCMC Director Vilmantas Vitkauskas. “Proactive communication and public awareness are essential. The Ministry’s swift intervention to inform and protect students is of critical importance.”
According to Vitkauskas, teenagers are often approached by anonymous individuals on social media with offers of easy money. Initial requests may appear harmless, such as photographing public buildings or tagging graffiti, but can escalate to far more serious tasks, including surveilling military infrastructure, documenting troop movements, or even participating in sabotage operations like arson or planting explosives.
Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) has also highlighted in its latest national threat report that both Russian and Belarusian intelligence agencies are actively attempting to recruit Lithuanian residents.
VSD Director Remigijus Bridikis recently called on lawmakers to revisit a nearly decade-old proposal to criminalize subversive activities, underscoring the growing urgency of countering foreign espionage threats.
Meanwhile, Latvia’s Defense Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD) has issued its own public advisories on how to recognize potential spies and saboteurs, as Baltic states heighten vigilance amid increasing regional tension.
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