The SSU has documented numerous attempts by russia’s special services to undermine the internal situation in Ukraine through fake ‘bomb alerts’ across various locations in Ukraine.

Since the beginning of 2023, more than 2,000 anonymous threats have been received, which claimed there was a threat of explosions at government institutions, schools, hospitals and other public places.

Most ‘bomb threats’ came as Internet messages from the territory of russia, as well as from Ukrainian ‘users’.

The SSU established that russian special services are increasingly using underage children to ‘send’ terrorist messages.

To recruit Ukrainian teenagers, occupiers use the banned social network Vkontakte, their Telegram channels and online gaming platforms.

On these resources, ‘interlocutors’ from russian special services ‘meet’ young users and offer them cooperation. Very often, the enemy uses blackmail and psychological manipulation to persuade children to engage in sabotage activities, offers ‘easy’ money.

Before sending messages about fake threats, ‘anonymous terrorists’ receive a list of ‘priority’ targets in Ukraine from their russian handlers.

For anonymity, the perpetrators send them using specialized software.

However, the SSU identifies them, documents the crimes and brings them to justice.

For example, in Cherkasy, two high school students have been identified. In July this year, they ‘reported’ a bomb threat at the regional military administration and a city shopping centre.

According to the investigation, the young men acted on the instructions of the FSB, which recruited both students through russian-controlled Telegram channels.

This and other episodes are currently being investigated under Article 259 of the CCU (knowingly false reporting of a threat to the citizens’ safety, threat of destruction or damage to property).

The offence is punishable by up to 8 years in prison. If the perpetrator is under the age of 16, his parents or persons in loco parentis are liable for the crime.

The SSU calls on Ukrainians to be vigilant and promptly inform the law enforcement of attempts by the enemy to engage them in cooperation.