More than 50 minors have come forward in recent weeks to report approaches by people operating fake accounts on messaging apps and networks, police said. Officers believe the actual number of attempts is far higher.
The recruiters promise payments, sometimes in cryptocurrency, and initially ask for sensitive information before encouraging “acts of terrorism”, said Halyna Petrenko of Detector Media, a Kyiv-based watchdog that tracks online manipulation.
“Most frequently they instruct the children to destroy or set fire to military vehicles or enlistment-office cars,” Petrenko told public broadcaster Polskie Radio. “The aim is to sow public anxiety.”
Security analysts say the direct targeting of specific teenagers builds on a broader Russian disinformation campaign that floods the internet with content undermining Ukraine’s armed forces and government.
Police urged parents and schools to monitor pupils’ online activity and to report suspicious approaches immediately.
(jh)
Source: IAR