Russian intelligence recruits saboteurs through Telegram and TikTok for attacks in Europe

Russian intelligence recruits saboteurs through Telegram and TikTok for attacks in Europe Yaroslav Pogonchuk

GRU recruits saboteurs through social networks/Collage 24 Channel

A considerable amount of sabotage in favor of Russia occurs in Europe. As investigators have found out, they are backed by a special unit of the Russian military intelligence GRU.

For sabotage in Europe, they are looking for executors through social networks. The GRU also does not shy away from using the services of criminals.

How the GRU recruits sabotage executors in Europe

The investigation says that the GRU organizes sabotage in Europe, recruiting performers through Telegram and TikTok and paying them with cryptocurrency.

The authors of the publication report that they have gained access to department documents. From there they learned that the organizational structure of preparation for sabotage is based on “group leader agents”, led by Colonel Denis Smolyaninov.

For example, at the beginning of 2024, through Telegram a resident of Latvia was recruited, who, according to instructions The GRU threw a Molotov cocktail at the Occupation Museum in Riga.

Another operation organized by the same team took place at the end of 2023, when several Moldovan citizens recruited through TikTok, they painted the stars of David on houses in Paris and its suburbs against the backdrop of the military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Publication sources also report that the GRU involves criminals from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova and Serbia in sabotage, using MVD operatives for recruitment.