A network of recruiters on Telegram linked to Russian intelligence offers payments for acts of sabotage and arson targeting Ukrainian and NATO military and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine and several European Union countries, including Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and Czechia. This network recruits via fake job offers promising high salaries for illegal covert activities such as burning vehicles, destroying communication masts, and attacking offices of Ukrainian organizations. The recruitment channels operate primarily in Russian and Ukrainian languages and use accounts registered from various countries, often masking true origins. Ukrainian security services identify this operation as 'Diversionary Noise', a Russian covert campaign since 2023. Documented cases show real arrests and convictions of individuals recruited through these Telegram channels. The network's expansion beyond Ukraine into EU countries began noticeably in 2026. Facilitated tasks include reconnaissance of NATO sites and alleged drone launches, with payments often in cryptocurrency. Russian-linked recruiters instruct saboteurs on methodical arson attacks using gasoline and Molotov cocktails. The network also promotes the buying and selling of aged Telegram accounts for operational use. Despite inquiries, Western security services have not publicly detailed the scale of this network in their territories.

A network of recruiters on Telegram linked to Russian intelligence offers payments for acts of sabotage and arson targeting Ukrainian and NATO military and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine and several European Union countries, including Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and Czechia. This network recruits via fake job offers promising high salaries for illegal covert activities such as burning vehicles, destroying communication masts, and attacking offices of Ukrainian organizations. The recruitment channels operate primarily in Russian and Ukrainian languages and use accounts registered from various countries, often masking true origins. Ukrainian security services identify this operation as 'Diversionary Noise', a Russian covert campaign since 2023. Documented cases show real arrests and convictions of individuals recruited through these Telegram channels. The network's expansion beyond Ukraine into EU countries began noticeably in 2026. Facilitated tasks include reconnaissance of NATO sites and alleged drone launches, with payments often in cryptocurrency. Russian-linked recruiters instruct saboteurs on methodical arson attacks using gasoline and Molotov cocktails. The network also promotes the buying and selling of aged Telegram accounts for operational use. Despite inquiries, Western security services have not publicly detailed the scale of this network in their territories.