“The Enemy Is in Your Phone”: Russia Uses Social Media to Exploit Ukrainian Teens
Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) is expanding a nationwide outreach campaign to prevent Russian intelligence from recruiting teenagers for sabotage and espionage.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to New York Times.
In classrooms across Ukraine, including at a recent session in Lviv, intelligence officers are warning students about the dangers of “easy money” schemes promoted on Telegram, TikTok, and Discord.
These platforms, officials say, are being exploited by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to lure unsuspecting teens into criminal activity.
“They won’t offer you $1,000 for nothing. That’s bait,” said SSU spokesperson Roksolana Yavorska-Isaienko, addressing a group of 10th graders. “What begins with photographing infrastructure or delivering a package can end with prison or death.”
According to the SSU, nearly 25% of individuals recruited by Russian intelligence in Ukraine over the past year were under 18.
In one of the most disturbing cases, two teenagers in Ivano-Frankivsk were offered $1,700 to plant bombs.
One was killed when the explosive was detonated remotely, and the other was left permanently disabled.
In another incident, a pair of teens burned railway infrastructure in Lviv in exchange for under $200, following encrypted instructions from Russian handlers.
Since April, the SSU has conducted over 200 security briefings in schools across western Ukraine.
These presentations include real-life examples of minors being manipulated into sabotage, and flyers instructing students on how to recognize and report recruitment attempts via a chatbot named “Expose the FSB Agent.”
Officials emphasize that Russia’s use of children in warfare is not new but its application in Europe through digital platforms marks an alarming evolution.
“This mirrors tactics once used in conflict zones like Afghanistan and Iraq,” said Yavorska-Isaienko. “And now it’s happening in Ukraine, inside our cities, our classrooms, and our phones.”
As Russia continues its hybrid war against Ukraine and the EU, Ukrainian officials say protecting the country’s youth from exploitation is now a national security priority.
Read more on The Gaze: How Russian Propaganda Works at Home and Abroad