The Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SVR) has announced that Ukrainian and European intelligence services are preparing attacks on representatives of the Russian non-systemic opposition and entrepreneurs located abroad. According to the SVR, the perpetrators are planned to be people from Asian and Middle Eastern countries, who are offered a reward of up to 20 thousand US dollars. If arrested, the perpetrators will have to state that they acted on instructions from Russian intelligence services.

The SVR claims that the purpose of these operations is to discredit Russia in the international arena and create a negative image of Russian special services. The agency called on the international community to pay attention to these provocations and take measures to prevent them.

Previously, Russian officials have repeatedly stated that Western intelligence services are attempting to use various methods to undermine stability in Russia and discredit its leadership. In particular, information campaigns, cyber attacks and support for opposition movements were mentioned.

Experts note that such statements by the SVR may be aimed at warning Russian citizens abroad of possible threats, as well as at shaping public opinion within the country and beyond. In the context of heightened international tensions, such information leaks are becoming part of a broad strategy of information warfare, where each side seeks to present the opponent in a negative light.