Russia Targets Ukrainian captive Families in new Recruitment Drive
Kyiv, Ukraine – Russian security services are actively recruiting relatives of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) as agents, employing manipulative tactics and exploiting the desperation of families seeking information about their loved ones, according to documents obtained by NV and interviews with security experts. The operation, which includes a database of over 1,600 individuals, utilizes targeted messaging via popular apps and on-the-ground recruitment in eight Ukrainian cities.
The recruitment effort centers on leveraging the anguish of families who have been waiting for news of relatives held by Russia for over a year. “They are crazy, ready to just get the information that a loved one is alive,” explained Ivan Stupak, a special operations expert and former SBU employee. “The Russians move responsibility on their shoulders: they say, if you do something, if you do not.”
NV reports that the database compiled by Russian special services contains contact information for 1,200 Ukrainian civilians and 400 military personnel’s family members. Recruitment attempts are focused in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, and Dnipro, with recruiters seeking to distribute pro-Kremlin propaganda via flyers.
This tactic builds on previous Russian efforts to recruit vulnerable populations, including drug addicts and minors. A key component of the operation involves the dissemination of fabricated videos purporting to show improved conditions for Ukrainian POWs, falsely suggesting that “all hope is only in Russia.” these videos are marked with a red fox on a black background for easy identification by Russian operatives. NV also notes evidence of artificially inflated view counts on these videos to amplify their perceived impact.
Ukrainian security services are urging anyone contacted by potential recruiters to immediately report the interaction via a hotline or SBU chatbot.Stupak emphasizes the need for proactive engagement by Ukrainian authorities with families of POWs. “You don’t need to call them daily, but at least once every two months, say ‘We remember, we are working on searching.’ To show that this is not the same to the state,” he said. “It can save a person from a fateful mistake.”
The use of POWs for propaganda purposes is a violation of the Geneva Convention. Ukraine is documenting these cases for potential prosecution in international courts, according to NV sources.
