---
title: "From €20 to €100: Moldova records recruitment of “low-value agents” for tasks in Ukraine"
description: "The head of Moldova's SIB, Alexandru Musteață, reported the recruitment of citizens via Telegram for intelligence and sabotage tasks in Ukraine. Initial payment ranges from €20 to €100, and the complexity of the assignments gradually increases."
date: 2026-09-03T21:30:06.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/moldova-telegram-recruitment-ukraine
tags: [moldova, sib-fss, telegram-recruitment, ukraine, sabotage, russia]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# From €20 to €100: Moldova records recruitment of “low-value agents” for tasks in Ukraine

![FSB special forces operative in tactical gear against the sky; illustration for story on recruitment of 'low-value agents' for tasks in Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/04/moldova-telegram-recruitment-ukraine/moldova-telegram-recruitment-ukraine-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Moldova's SIB is recording the recruitment of citizens via Telegram for intelligence and sabotage tasks outside the country, including in Ukraine.
- Initial payment ranges from €20 to €100 for simple assignments (photographs, verifying information), after which the complexity and reward increase.
- Moldovan and Ukrainian law enforcement have already conducted joint operations with detentions; the agency is preparing measures against the possible spread of this activity within Moldova.

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.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [From €20 to €100: In Moldova, the Kremlin is recruiting “low-value agents” against Ukraine](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vid-20-100-evro-moldovi-kreml-verbue-malotsinnih-1788467401.html) - Источник передает прямые заявления главы СИБ Молдовы Александра Мустяце о вербовке через Telegram, суммах 20–100 евро, задачах на Украине и совместных операциях. Единственный источник в списке; независимая верификация конкретных операций и сумм отсутствует.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: For what purpose, according to the head of Moldova's SIB, are citizens being recruited through messengers?
**A:** According to Alexandru Musteață, not for direct participation in the war, but for carrying out intelligence and sabotage tasks outside Moldova, including on the territory of Ukraine.

### Q: How much is offered at the first stage, and how do the tasks grow?
**A:** At the start, €20, €50, or €100 is offered for simple assignments (photographing a location, verifying information). As cooperation continues, the reward and complexity increase, up to actions like “take a bag and put it under a car.”

### Q: Have any operations been carried out against such recruitment?
**A:** Yes, Moldovan and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have conducted joint operations with detentions, and Moldovan special services have carried out several operations, some of which were not made public.