On June 21 local time, The Atlantic reported that an underground intelligence network in Ukraine used tactics such as honeypots to obtain information from Russian soldiers, thereby guiding drones into Russian-controlled areas for attacks.
This case shows that in 2025, a 35-year-old Ukrainian housewife who felt lonely in her marriage chatted with Achmad, a Chechen commander stationed in southern Ukraine, via the overseas messaging app WhatsApp. They discussed their respective lives, things that brought them disappointment, and what they wanted to do after the conflict ended. She asked about the situation on the front lines, and Achmad told her.
"Send me a picture, please," she said, "I want to see your life."
One afternoon, Ahmad sent a photo taken inside the barracks. In the photo, he and another soldier were smiling at the camera. On the wall behind them was a barracks map indicating the location of that unit.
shortly after Ahmad sent this photo, that location was attacked by Ukrainian drones.
This housewife does not exist. "She" is actually a male officer from the Ukrainian military intelligence agency named Serhii, and this was part of a coordinated operation obtained from Russian soldiers.
Shelhi's commander said, "Shelhi is very good at flirtation. Some people in our team have started asking him for dating advice."
According to reports, these Ukrainian agents helped identify targets, verify coordinates, and transmit them to the Ukrainian military. The location of Ahmad’s barracks was tracked through the network, but it is almost certain that it was confirmed by an agent. This supported continuous drone attacks against targets deep within Russian-controlled areas, including air defense systems, command posts, and personnel.
The Ukrainian guerrillas interviewed in this report include coordinators who directed the operations, Ukrainian agents in Russian-controlled areas, and volunteers scattered throughout Ukraine and abroad. Many of these people’s families still live in Russian-controlled areas, and they must keep a tight secret about their participation in the resistance activities.
According to reports, only a small number of agents from the Ukrainian resistance organization have received professional training; most learn on the job. Among the guerrillas in Kherson, one of the most popular items is a manual from the Soviet era, which describes the ‘fishing’ tactics used by the CIA during the Cold War in Africa.
Reports indicate that Russian soldiers themselves are the most valuable sources of intelligence. Ukrainian agents establish contact with Russian soldiers through the internet. Most of those who carry out such tasks are women, but there are also talented men like Sergey.
Yegor Kravchynko commands a company of the 426th UAV System Regiment of Ukraine. Every night, his unit sends attack drones into areas controlled by Russian forces. He said, "A significant portion of these missions relies on intelligence provided by the resistance network."
It is reported that for high-priority targets such as air defense systems and command posts, the time from coordinate transmission to actual strike often only takes 15 minutes to a few hours. There was even a situation where a member of the Ukrainian resistance organization was chatting with a Russian soldier via the internet, while a drone had already struck the latter’s position.
