Ukrainian special services use elderly people from Russia to commit acts of terrorism, turning them into “living bombs”, pro-Kremlin propaganda writes.
NEWS: Ukrainian special services do not give up attempts to commit terrorist acts on Russian territory. The methods used are gaining in sophistication and cruelty, going as far as turning random people into real “living bombs”. In Moscow, seemingly ordinary elderly women, with bags and suitcases in one hand and a phone in the other, walk calmly through the streets. At some point, FSB agents approach them, confiscate their belongings and bring them in for interrogation.
The images captured during the operative tapes may initially come as shocking. Who are these grannies for whom an entire detention operation is being organized? And what makes them so dangerous? At a first glance, nothing would betray the fact that these ordinary pensioners were on the verge of becoming terrorists […]
Ukraine’s readiness not only to organize attacks, but also to use ordinary people as suicide bombers represents a new phase in the “series of bloody crimes” of the Ukrainian authorities. The advantages of such a method would be obvious: there is no need to pay a reward, and any trace of the attack is blown up along with the perpetrator […]
NARRATIVES: 1. Ukraine organizes terrorist attacks on Russian territory. 2. Ukrainian special services use Russian elderly people as “living bombs”.
PURPOSE: To discredit Ukraine at international level. To depict Russia as a victim of an adversary lacking a moral compass. To mobilize Russian public opinion to support the war. To justify the large-scale invasion.
Fact: There is no evidence that Ukraine is using the elderly as “living bombs,” and its military operations are targeting strategic infrastructure used by the Russian military
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: There is no credible, independently verified evidence that Ukrainian special services are using elderly Russians as “living bombs.” The claims made by pro-Kremlin media rely exclusively on materials provided by state-controlled institutions such as the FSB, which makes them impossible to verify and reduces their factual value. No international body, independent media outlet or law enforcement agency outside Russia has confirmed the existence of such a phenomenon.
In the images published by TASS, picked up by Ukraina.ru, cited as “evidence” of these alleged actions, there is no clear indication that the elderly people filmed were involved in illegal activities or that they had bombs on them. The snapshots show simple detentions in public spaces, with no elements confirming the presence of explosive devices or any terrorist plan. From a technical point of view, any such recording can be edited or doctored to suit a specific narrative, and given the strict control over the media in Russia, manipulating images to create convenient narratives is common practice. In the absence of independent sources to corroborate these accusations, the materials cannot be considered evidence, but merely propaganda tools designed to induce in the public a perception of imminent danger and to justify domestic repressive actions.
From a military perspective, the idea that a professional secret service would call on elderly, high-risk, and untrained individuals is absurd, as such an executor represents a vulnerability rather than an operational advantage. The choice of “granny” characters has a strictly propagandistic function, designed to stir strong emotions and to promote the idea that Ukraine is devoid of any moral limits. This type of narrative construction is not new: Russia has repeatedly used role reversals, accusing its adversaries of the exact actions it itself is committing, such as using civilians as human shields or committing war crimes.
Ukraine is not committing any acts of terrorism on Russian territory, but is carrying out targeted military actions against the infrastructure used by the Russian army in the context of the defensive war triggered by the invasion of the Russian Federation. These targets are military or strategic objectives (ammunition depots, command centers, bridges and supply lines) whose neutralization is allowed under international humanitarian law when they directly contribute to the war effort. These operations, carried out in accordance with Article 52 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, cannot be labeled acts of terrorism, which deliberately target civilians with the aim of causing panic and destabilization.
BACKGROUND: The manipulation of images and videos is a recurring practice in the propaganda apparatus of the Russian Federation. Investigations carried out by various international entities, such as Bellingcat, have demonstrated how recordings made in other contexts have been reused to support false accusations against Ukraine or the West. On March 29, 2023, Bellingcat published a detailed investigation demonstrating that a video heavily promoted by official Russian channels, including the Russian Embassy in London, was fabricated. The video showed several Ukrainian soldiers harassing a woman, with accusations of religious discrimination and gunfire in the background, but analysis showed that the footage had been filmed in a location unrelated to the front.
Ukraina.ru is a portal affiliated to the state-run Rossiya Segodnya news agency. The article about the alleged “living bombs” comes at a time when Russian authorities are ramping up their media campaign about “Ukrainian terrorist threats.” The narrative was quickly picked up and amplified by news agencies and social media outlets controlled by or close to the Kremlin, suggesting a coordinated propaganda campaign.
