The Security Service of Ukraine is recording an increase in attempts by Russian intelligence services to recruit relatives of Ukrainian military personnel held as prisoners of war in Russia. According to the agency, such contacts are becoming more systematic: representatives of Russia or individuals under its control are reaching out to affected families with offers of "cooperation," using various communication channels and psychological pressure. The SBU emphasizes that these schemes are aimed at extracting sensitive information and involving citizens in illegal activities.
How the contacts take place
According to SBU information, contact with the relatives of POWs is established by phone, through messengers, or via video calls. In some cases, the communication takes place in the presence of the prisoner of war himself, which intensifies the pressure on the family and turns a loved one into an instrument of influence. During such contacts, Russian representatives attempt to obtain sensitive information about the military personnel and their surroundings; the specific list of requested data is not disclosed in the agency's available materials.
What is offered and what is being sought
In a number of cases, representatives of the aggressor state immediately assign tasks to carry out sabotage, terrorist acts, or contract killings. In addition, relatives are being drawn into information and psychological campaigns aimed at discrediting Ukraine. Thus, recruitment goes beyond simple information gathering and becomes an attempt to use citizens as executors of specific illegal actions.
Manipulation through "exchange lists" and money
In exchange for carrying out tasks, the Russians may promise allegedly loyal treatment of the prisoner of war or his inclusion in "exchange lists." At the same time, the SBU explicitly emphasizes: cooperation with the enemy has no bearing on the possibility of an exchange. Separate cases have been recorded in which relatives are demanded to pay money, with groundless promises of assistance in returning their loved ones from captivity, which is in fact a fraudulent scheme.
SBU recommendations
The agency urges people not to agree to cooperate with representatives of the aggressor state or the organizers of such schemes. In the event of a recruitment attempt, it is necessary to immediately report this to the Security Service of Ukraine. Where possible, the conversation or correspondence should be recorded, as such materials may help establish the circumstances of the recruitment attempt and protect the family from further pressure.
Context: impersonating Ukrainian law enforcement
The SBU reminds that it has previously reported cases in which Russian intelligence services attempted to involve Ukrainians in criminal activity, impersonating representatives of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and using various pretexts for pressure to persuade citizens to commit arson, terrorist acts, and other illegal actions. The current scheme involving the recruitment of relatives of POWs complements this picture and points to an expansion of the arsenal of methods being used against Ukrainian society.
