Ukrainian resistance agents implemented an unusual strategy, inspired by the concept of the “love coup”, to combat the Russian occupation forces. Clandestine intelligence networks now use “love traps”, a method known as catfishing, with the aim of collecting strategic data and coordinates of enemy targets, as revealed by the American magazine The Atlantic.
To carry out this tactic, agents create fictitious profiles on messaging applications, such as WhatsApp. They dedicate themselves to seducing Russian soldiers into seemingly unpretentious conversations, which quickly evolve into intelligence operations, culminating in drone attacks targeting barracks and logistics centers.
Operation that revealed location of Chechen commander
The American publication details the case of Achmad, a Chechen commander who maintained a virtual relationship for months, believing he was interacting with a 35-year-old housewife. In fact, he was in contact with Serhiy, an intelligence officer specialized in flirting, who managed to obtain an image of the barracks, exposing the exact location of the military unit.
Resistance leaders indicate that Chechen soldiers are frequent targets of this approach. They are considered more likely to seek “real connections” and therefore more easily manipulated than native Russian soldiers, who generally show greater interest in immediate sexual relations.
Training and agility in responding to attacks
The sophistication of this type of espionage has reached a professional level, with reports that the National Academy of the Security Service of Ukraine teaches its students courses to improve these interactions, awarding top marks to those who provide genuine military coordinates.
The speed of the response is remarkable: the interval between acquiring coordinates via catfishing and executing an attack can be from just 15 minutes to a few hours. This speed allows drones to reach targets while the Russian military is still engaged in conversations with the fake profiles.
Russian countermeasures and the resilience of the resistance
In occupied areas, Russian repression established an intense surveillance regime. In cities like Mariupol, high-resolution cameras constantly monitor the population’s movements, and it is estimated that almost half of adults have been polygraphed by the Russian security service. Expressing support for Ukraine or displaying the colors blue and yellow can result in detention and torture, referred to by the euphemism “basement.”
To persist, the Ukrainian resistance must overcome advanced Russian electronic countermeasures, which include the “Druge” (Friend) spy app pre-installed on phones sold in the occupied territories to track communications and location. Agents now use “clean” devices, smuggled or delivered by drone, and access Wi-Fi hotspots to send encrypted messages, avoiding detection by Russian cell towers.
The ultimate goal of psychological warfare
In addition to the physical destruction of command posts and logistics centers, the main purpose of all these operations is psychological warfare. The agents interviewed by the American publication seek to instill constant paranoia in Russian soldiers. The intention is to make each invading military see any civilian — be it a pedestrian, doctor or bus driver — as a potential vector of their own destruction. The Ukrainian resistance aims to convey a clear message: even an everyday interaction, including online flirting, can be the starting point for a deadly attack.
