The Information and Security Service of Moldova (SIB) has recorded a new trend involving the recruitment of the country's citizens through messengers, primarily Telegram. According to the head of the agency, Alexandru Musteață, the recruited individuals are then used for sabotage activities outside Moldova. It is specifically emphasized that this is not about drawing people into direct participation in combat, but about carrying out intelligence and sabotage tasks.
How the recruitment scheme works
Musteață explained that at the first stage, citizens are offered relatively small sums — €20, €50, or €100, depending on the assignment. The initial tasks look simple: photograph a certain location, go somewhere and take a picture, or verify some piece of information. If a person agrees and continues cooperating, the reward and the complexity of the tasks gradually increase.
According to the head of SIB, the assignments can go as far as “go, take a bag and put it under a car” or similar actions. Musteață called such recruits “low-value agents” and noted that even carrying out a seemingly simple task carries risk: the very fact of having citizens in Moldova willing to go and take a photograph for €50, he classified as field reconnaissance.
Link with Ukraine and joint operations
The head of SIB confirmed that Moldovan citizens are being recruited to carry out various tasks specifically on the territory of Ukraine. According to him, Moldovan and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have already conducted joint operations during which people drawn into such activities were detained. Moldovan special services have also carried out several operations, some of which were not made public. Musteață added that the number of citizens being drawn into such activities abroad is growing, and the agency is preparing for the possible spread of similar activity within the country.
Context: a series of sabotage incidents in Europe
The statement by the head of SIB came against the backdrop of a series of incidents in Europe linked to sabotage activities. Earlier, Germany publicly accused Russia of an attack on a Ukrainian aircraft at Leipzig airport. In Poland, a fire broke out overnight at a factory producing drones for the Ukrainian and Polish armies — special services are searching for the intruder who broke onto the company's premises. At an ammunition plant near Rome, owned by KNDS Ammo Italy and cooperating with Ukraine, an explosion occurred and a fire broke out in the powder-pressing workshop; there were no casualties.
