Reports indicate that Russian agents are allegedly using online platforms to recruit Ukrainian teenagers as operatives for terrorist activities in Europe. Methods described as “gamification” involve assigning tasks akin to video game challenges through popular apps like TikTok and Telegram. This strategy reportedly entices young individuals with financial incentives, drawing them into dangerous activities.
According to France 24, Lithuanian prosecutors have revealed that one agent operated under the code name “Q,” a reference to the fictional gadget master from the James Bond series. This tactic mirrors the way some gaming apps engage users, creating a sense of normalcy around potentially dangerous behavior.
In Europe, multiple cases involving these recruits have come to light. A 17-year-old named Vlad reported receiving $30 for attempting to secure a hidden grenade. He was also offered $1,500 to set fire to a van at a Ukrainian conscription center, and claimed to have received around $100 in cryptocurrency for that task, according to the BBC.
Escalating Threats and Arrests
Another troubling instance involved Daniil Bardadim, an 18-year-old who pleaded guilty to planting an explosive device in an IKEA store in Vilnius, Lithuania. He was sentenced to over three years in prison for his actions, which prosecutors stated served the interests of the Russian military and security services. This attack appears to be linked to IKEA’s decision to withdraw from Russia and Sweden’s support for Ukraine.
In April 2023, a 19-year-old Ukrainian woman was arrested after allegedly constructing and deploying an explosive device within an e-scooter intended for the Ukrainian armed forces. Additionally, a 16-year-old from Kharkiv was detained in October 2023 by Polish authorities for purported involvement in the recruitment process for these attacks, as reported by TVN24.
Elena Grossfield, an expert on Russian intelligence from King’s College London, explained that the tasks young recruits are given resemble a game, with the objective often being to gather or deliver specific information. “It’s almost like the Pokémon Go game,” she stated, highlighting the manipulative nature of this recruitment approach.
According to the BBC, approximately 800 Ukrainians have been contacted by Russian operatives, including around 240 minors. In response, Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security (SPRAVDI) has released a video aimed at warning young Ukrainians against cooperating with Russian interests.
Recruitment Tactics and Societal Impact
Huseyn Aliyev, a specialist on the Ukraine conflict at the University of Glasgow, noted that this recruitment strategy represents a shift from traditional Soviet-era espionage methods that relied on sleeper agents. “On a day-to-day level, Russia is using it on a massive scale,” he said, emphasizing the variety of tasks assigned to Ukrainian citizens, which range from sharing sensitive military information to carrying out acts of violence.
While the frequency of these incidents appears to be decreasing due to law enforcement actions, Aliyev warned that the recruitment scheme is evolving from simpler tasks like making Molotov cocktails to more complex operations involving explosive devices. Erik Stijnman, an expert from the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, suggested that young, tech-savvy individuals are particularly vulnerable to these recruitment efforts, often viewing them as thrilling without understanding the full ramifications of their actions.
Ukrainian officials have indicated that Russian operatives have targeted children as young as 10 years old. Stijnman pointed out that the optics of having Ukrainians involved in such attacks may damage perceptions of Ukraine in Western countries. “That’s probably the point of these operations,” he said, warning that it could foster a narrative of betrayal that undermines support for Ukraine.
Grossfield added that these operations can exacerbate existing tensions and mistrust towards Ukrainian refugees, potentially making them more susceptible to recruitment by Russian agents. This shift in public sentiment could have profound implications for the safety and integration of these individuals in host countries.
