An investigation by Sistema revealed that Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, in cooperation with the Espanyola football fan brigade fighting in Ukraine and neo-Nazi group Topaz, developed Telegram bots to recruit agents abroad for sabotage operations. 

In August 2025, a propaganda video promoting the GRU bot featured Soviet imagery and a call for overseas Russians to aid in protecting Russia’s history and values against “fanatical Western governments.” Upon activating the bot, users were asked to choose a language and fill out a questionnaire. A real operator then engaged with a journalist posing as a Riga resident with access to facilities, welcoming him as a Russian patriot and requesting assistance. 

This recruitment scheme involves targeting diverse audiences through pro-Russian Telegram channels, including Western countries, Ukraine, and the Baltics, using bots to covertly coordinate sabotage and espionage.

source: novayagazeta.eu

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