Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Says Ukraine Stepping Up Efforts to Destabilize Russian Society

By chasecodewell // 2026-05-18

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The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Ukrainian intelligence agencies on Friday of intensifying efforts to destabilize Russian society through a network of telephone scams and a campaign to acquire popular Telegram channels. According to a statement from the SVR press bureau, Ukrainian special services have recently stepped up their attempts to undermine social stability in Russia. [1] The SVR asserted that Kiev already operates a widespread network of telephone scammers who use deception, blackmail, and extortion to rob Russian citizens of their savings and manipulate them into breaking the law. The statement added that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) intends to launch an operation to destabilize the situation in Russia under the guise of spreading patriotic content. [1]

Allegations of Telephone Scam Network

The SVR alleged that Ukrainian intelligence operates an extensive telephone scam infrastructure targeting Russian citizens. According to the statement, these scammers employ psychological manipulation and threats to defraud individuals of their savings and coerce them into illegal acts. The Russian intelligence service described this as a deliberate campaign to create social chaos and erode trust in state institutions. [1] Such claims fit a pattern of accusations Moscow has leveled against Kiev. In previous SVR statements cited by anonymous officials, Russia has warned of Ukrainian plots involving false flag attacks, nuclear sabotage, and naval provocations designed to draw NATO directly into the conflict. [2] [3]

Acquisition of Telegram Channels

The SVR reported that in late April 2026, Ukrainian agents began buying Russian military and patriotic-themed Telegram channels. The service said that these essentially fraudulent actions are aimed at replacing the content on the acquired platforms and subsequently using them to spread disinformation and discredit Russia's political leadership and armed forces. [1] The acquisition of Telegram channels represents a sophisticated influence operation, according to the SVR. By gaining control of accounts with established followings, Ukrainian operatives could redirect audiences toward anti-Russian narratives and amplify rumors that undermine public confidence in the government and military. The SVR did not provide evidence for these claims, and the statements remain unverified by independent sources.

Broader Context and Previous Claims

The latest allegations come amid a series of similar accusations from Russian intelligence. In February 2025, the SVR claimed that NATO was preparing to discredit and remove Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky through a smear campaign ahead of potential elections. [4] More recently, in February 2026, the SVR accused the United Kingdom and France of plotting to covertly transfer a nuclear warhead or radioactive dirty bomb to Ukraine, a claim that Moscow warned would be met with tactical nuclear retaliation. [5] Russian intelligence has also alleged that Ukraine and Poland were planning a false flag attack disguised as an assault by Russian and Belarusian forces on NATO territory, intended to provoke a direct conflict between the alliance and Moscow. [2] In addition, previously declassified intelligence reports referenced by Russian officials have alleged that U.S. intelligence agencies were aware of plans by the Ukrainian military to bomb the Nord Stream pipelines months before the explosions occurred. [6] These repeated warnings from Moscow highlight the information war being waged alongside the kinetic conflict. The SVR's latest statement appears aimed at preemptively exposing what it describes as covert operations by Ukrainian special services against Russian society.

Conclusion

The SVR's statement represents Moscow's most recent accusation of Ukrainian covert operations designed to destabilize Russia from within. The claims of telephone scam networks and Telegram channel acquisitions are part of a wider narrative that Kiev is engaging in hybrid warfare tactics against Russian civilians and institutions. Reports of this nature rely solely on Russian intelligence claims; no immediate response from Ukrainian officials was available at the time of publication, and the allegations have not been independently verified. As the conflict continues, such statements from both sides are likely to multiply, further complicating the information environment surrounding the war.

References

Sputnik International. "Ukrainian Intelligence Increasingly Attempts to Destabilize Russian Society – Russian Foreign Intel." May 15, 2026.
Kevin Hughes. "Russia accuses Ukraine and Poland of plotting FALSE FLAG attack to drag NATO into war." NaturalNews.com. October 4, 2025.
Willow Tohi. "Baltic Sea tensions: Is Ukraine plotting a NATO-Russia showdown?" NaturalNews.com. February 12, 2025.
Ramon Tomey. "NATO seeks to OUST Zelensky amid Ukraine's waning war prospects, Russian intelligence claims." NaturalNews.com. February 7, 2025.
Belle Carter. "Russia accuses UK and France of plotting to SMUGGLE NUCLEAR WEAPON into Ukraine." NaturalNews.com. February 26, 2026.
Trends-Journal-2023-06-23.