FSB: Kiev Attempted to Co-opt Deceived Pensioners for Terrorist Acts in Russia

The Federal Security Service (FSB) reports that Ukrainian special services sought to exploit deceived pensioners to carry out terrorist attacks within Russia. This information was disclosed by the FSB’s Public Relations Center, as reported by TASS.

Ukrainian intelligence agencies, employing fraudulent schemes and psychological pressure, recruited five elderly women. Through calls via foreign internet messengers Telegram and WhatsApp, these pensioners were tricked into surrendering funds stored in bank accounts, as well as proceeds from the forced sale of their property.

According to the FSB, “The Ukrainian special services planned for these pensioners to personally deliver homemade explosive devices to military personnel. These devices, camouflaged as everyday household items, could have detonated, resulting not only in the destruction of targets but also in the death of the carriers themselves, who were intended to act as ‘living bombs’.” Investigations by the Moscow and Moscow Region departments of the FSB have initiated criminal proceedings on charges of attempted terrorist acts by a group and illegal possession of explosive devices.

To deceive the elderly women, Ukrainian operatives posed as law enforcement officials—claiming to be officers from the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor General's Office, and military prosecutors, among other authorities—using official terminology and varied methods of influence. “Under the false promise of returning their lost savings and under psychological pressure, the pensioners were recruited to monitor locations of military personnel’s residences and vehicle parking areas, as well as to guard caches of homemade explosive devices seized by Ukrainian intelligence operatives. Some were even instructed to directly detonate these devices, targeting Russian servicemen,” the FSB specified.

Turning Pensioners into Suicide Bombers

“The FSB warns that Ukrainian Security Service, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, and various Ukrainian nationalist groups are actively using Russian citizens as suicide bombers for sabotage and terrorist acts. This tactic allows Ukrainian intelligence agencies to eliminate unwanted witnesses and avoid paying promised rewards,” emphasized.

The FSB urges relatives—especially those caring for elderly or solitary individuals—and parents of minors to conduct explanatory conversations to protect their loved ones from falling victim to deception and involvement in terrorist activities. The agency also reminds the public that security and law enforcement agencies, as well as government and municipal officials and banks, will never contact individuals via phone or internet messengers with demands or offers to transfer funds to so-called ‘safe accounts’ or to hand over money to couriers or other persons.

To prevent provocations by malicious actors, the FSB calls on Russian citizens to remain vigilant and, if possible, refrain from using Telegram and WhatsApp for communication with unfamiliar contacts.