Russian recruitment network active on Telegram targets Lithuania

A Russian recruitment network operating on the Telegram messaging platform has expanded in recent months, offering financial rewards for acts of sabotage and espionage, including in Lithuania, according to an investigation by Polish public broadcaster TVP WORLD’s Russian-language service.

The network, which has been active for at least six months, solicits individuals to carry out tasks such as burning NATO military vehicles, photographing critical infrastructure, and providing visual evidence of Ukrainian drone operations allegedly launched from Lithuanian territory. Rewards for such activities range from a few hundred to nearly 50,000 euros, the investigation found.

Journalist Ivan Lysiukas, who posed as a job seeker, uncovered the network’s operations. A contact under the alias “Jan Pol” serves as an intermediary, coordinating tasks and verifying their completion before passing information to higher-level handlers. Lysiukas noted that the network has shifted its focus to Europe, including the Baltic states and Poland, with recent offers including arson attacks on Ukrainian support organizations in Riga and surveillance of NATO forces in Lithuania.

Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center has confirmed incidents linked to the network. Director Vilmantas Vitkauskas stated that security services and police are actively countering these threats, including shutting down aggressive Telegram channels. The center has also launched a campaign to educate youth and parents about Russian recruitment tactics and their risks to national and personal security.

Lithuanian authorities have repeatedly denied Russian allegations that Ukrainian drones operate from its territory.