Civil authorities, schools, business centers, hotels, embassies, newsrooms – including Radio Liberty – and other institutions received messages about a supposed threat of terrorist acts and bombings, causing evacuations to be carried out in many public buildings across Ukraine, including educational institutions.
On Monday, Oct. 14, the Radio Liberty newsroom reported that it received a letter signed by a representative of a “terrorist group” named after an anti-Ukrainian Telegram channel.
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The bomb threat letters mentioned the names of Radio Liberty journalists – Irina Sysak, Valeriya Yehoshina, and freelancer Yuliya Khymeryk. The senders of the letters accused them of being involved in preparations for the bombing attacks in a false flag operation.
Radio Liberty noted that these journalists had recently investigated and uncovered a scheme of recruitment by Russian intelligence services for Ukrainian citizens to set military vehicles on fire, particularly those of the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TRC).
Journalists from the Schemes project at Radio Liberty found that the person likely responsible for sending the bomb threat letters lives in occupied Crimea and holds a Russian passport. They also discovered that the group claiming responsibility for these threats is calling for arson attacks on military vehicles and the persecution of TRC employees. They offer a reward starting at $100 for this freelance “work.”
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The Telegram channel of this group also publishes videos showing TRC employees detaining Ukrainian citizens for mobilization. The group urges the pursuit of these military personnel and promises a reward of $1,000 for such actions.
Journalists also revealed that at the beginning of October, representatives of this group sent messages to government agencies suggesting “killings for hire,” i.e., the assassination of high-ranking security officials and public figures.
The report said that the senders of the threat messages presented themselves as part of an organization that has long been executing orders for violent actions and resolving issues through physical elimination, i.e., murder. Among their priority activities, the group reportedly mentioned promoting mass disorder, making bomb threats against government buildings, and conducting subversive activities at any level.
Ukraine’s National Police reported they have been “conducting checks at the sites regarding the anonymous bomb threat messages received.”
According to law enforcement, more than 1,500 facilities across Ukraine have received messages about possible bomb threats. Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that over 60 diplomatic institutions and structural subdivisions have also become targets of threats, leading to temporary suspensions of consular services for Ukrainian citizens in some cases.
On Monday, Oct. 14, the National Police checked the Radio Liberty office in Kyiv but found no explosive devices, according to the newsroom.
The press service of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told journalists that the mass distribution of fake bomb threat messages is likely part of an information and psychological operation (psyop) aimed at creating panic among Ukrainians.
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