SBU blocked in different regions of country the activities of the extensive network of “botofarms”, equipment of which was supported through Russian online services.

Operatives of the special service have found that telecommunication platforms were used to create and promote fake accounts and communities for illegal transactions on the Internet. In general, the group registered more than 8 thousand active accounts for distribution in popular social networks unreliable information about the situation in Ukraine, incitement of protest moods, intimidation of the population, sending out the messages about mining of critical infrastructure facilities and conducting information attacks on accounts of Ukrainian high-ranking officials.

Through accounts the group also distributed firearms, explosive devices, narcotic drugs. Registration of these accounts on the "Internet" was carried out through the Russian online services, which rendered the services of virtual mobile numbers. Part of the equipment was used by the offenders for the illegal sending of the telephone traffic of illegally created "operators" “Fenix" and “Lugacom", which operate in the temporarily uncontrolled territories, to the networks of domestic operators. According to the special service, the “leaders” of the illegal armed groups of the so-called “LNR" and “DNR” used these “services”.

During the searches in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Dubno (Rivne region) and Irpin (Kyiv region) computer and special equipment (GSM-modems, gateways), more than 22 thousand of SIM-cards of Ukrainian mobile operators were detected and seized. Also draft records for the registration of social network users, who placed provocative comments under the publications of Ukrainian politicians were seized. Currently, the version on involvement in the organization of the specified illegal activities of special and intelligence agencies of Russia is being checked.

The operation was conducted by the SBU Department of Counterintelligence Protection of State Interests in the sphere of Informational Security, the SBU Office in Lviv region and the Prosecutor’s Office of Lviv region.