Recruitment of children by the enemy in TikTok and Telegram: what parents should pay attention to
Kyiv • UNN
Russian recruiters are using popular messengers to recruit children for espionage activities. They are offered to photograph infrastructure facilities or the movement of military personnel.

Russian recruiters are using popular messengers such as TikTok and Telegram to recruit children for espionage, Ukrainian law enforcement officials warn. This was reported in the Telegram Center for Strategic Communications under the Ministry of Culture, UNN writes.
Details
"In popular messengers, Russians offer children "easy money", but in reality they involve children in espionage," - said, as indicated in the Center for Strategic Communications, the head of the Department of Organization of the Educational Security Service of the National Police, Nadiya Sytnyk
In particular, children are offered to perform, as indicated, "simple" work. They are asked to directly photograph infrastructure facilities or the movement of troops.
How does it happen?
Recruiters start with easy tasks that seem safe: putting up leaflets or drawing graffiti.
"Next - everything is more serious: arson of cars, transfer of coordinates, photos of important objects. All this - under pressure, manipulation or blackmail," - the Center for Strategic Communications reports.
Signs of recruitment:
- the appearance of expensive things that the child cannot explain;
- avoiding conversations with adults, especially about online communication;
- sudden interest in the topics of army, politics and critical infrastructure.
If you suspect your child is being recruited, the Center for Strategic Communications recommends contacting: the "102" line; online to the cyber police; to the "Report a FSB agent" chatbot; to the SBU hotline – 0800 501 482.
Addition
The first deputy head of the Department of Patrol Police of the National Police of Ukraine, Oleksiy Biloshytskyi, in his Telegram drew attention to the case of child recruitment that occurred in Odesa.
"Hi! Are you from Odesa? Don't you want to earn money? Nothing difficult - just take pictures. Take photos of ships arriving at the port," - this is the message, according to Biloshytskyi, that a student of an Odesa school received.
"The guy was not confused: in order to collect evidence and learn more information, he started correspondence with the recruiter. Later, the student informed the inspector of the educational security service about this in order to send the information to the relevant units," - Biloshytskyi wrote.
Biloshytskyi also advised parents not to lose vigilance, communicate with their children, and explain the danger of illegal actions and the consequences of their commission.