Since the beginning of 2026, the National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) have recorded 31 terrorist attacks, 80% of which have already been solved, while another 14 were prevented during the preparation stage, according to Deputy Head of the National Police and Chief of Criminal Police Andrii Niebytov.
According to him, the nature of tasks assigned by Russian handlers to recruited Ukrainians has changed in recent years. While initially these activities mainly involved gathering information, photographing military facilities or setting fire to vehicles, recruitment is now increasingly aimed at preparing terrorist attacks and killings.
“At first, a person is offered a simple task — to photograph a specific site, provide information, carry a package or deliver a box. The tasks then gradually become more serious, ranging from property damage and arson to terrorist attacks and killings,” according to a statement published by Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Police say the scale of Russian efforts to involve Ukrainians in such crimes has increased in recent years. In 2024, Russian security services organized nine terrorist attacks carried out by Ukrainians. In 2025, law enforcement agencies recorded 61 such cases, 27 of which were prevented during the preparation stage. A total of 52 terrorist attacks were solved last year.
Russian security services have also sought to poison Ukrainian military personnel. Since the beginning of 2026, law enforcement agencies have recorded 11 such cases in which links to Russian recruitment are either being investigated or have already been established.
“Since the beginning of 2026, the police and the SSU have recorded 31 terrorist attacks. Eighty percent of them have already been solved. Another 14 attacks were prevented during the preparation stage,” the ministry said.
