Two Russian men secretly working for Ukraine’s intelligence services have given accounts of operations they claim to have been involved with, targeting military assets and personnel inside Russia.
Secret operations carried out by undercover agents inside Russia have brought fresh attention to the covert networks working against President Vladimir Putin’s government. Two Russian men, identified by pseudonyms in international reporting, have shared rare accounts of their involvement in sabotage missions targeting military infrastructure on their home soil, according to Yahoo News Canada.
Ivan’s Role in Surveillance and Explosives Prep
One of the operatives, known as Ivan, claims he participated from within Russia in Ukrainian drone attacks aimed at strategic bombers and munitions factories. His work involved surveilling military sites and scouting locations to conceal drone components ahead of potential strikes, as reported by Yahoo News Canada.
When these [drone] components are combined… it turns out a formidable weapon, which with a single blow can destroy an object that costs many, many millions of dollars,
Ivan told Polish journalist Marcin Mamon in a BBC World Service documentary, as cited by Yahoo News Canada.
Ivan shared a video with Mamon showing him hiding explosives near a Russian military airfield. The work carried immense personal danger. He recalled a close call when his vehicle was stopped for inspection while he was carrying handmade explosives, though he managed to avoid detection.
A former member of the political opposition, Ivan said he undertakes these missions for ideological reasons rather than financial gain. Foma, a separate figure operating from exile in Poland, estimated through military intelligence contacts that Ivan likely took part in a June strike targeting Russia’s largest military drone factory at Yelabuga, an incident that left one person dead.
Foma and the Remote Volunteer Network
Operating outside Russia, Foma runs a network of undercover volunteers inside the country. According to Yahoo News Canada, his team surveils high-level military officers flagged as potential targets by the GUR, Ukraine’s military intelligence service. Foma stated that his network numbers roughly 300 to 500 individuals, though that figure cannot be independently verified.
Foma instructs his operatives online, teaching them how to trail senior officers marked for surveillance. Volunteers receive files containing a target’s personal details, photographs, dates of birth, and vehicle descriptions. Operatives are explicitly warned not to carry phones during reconnaissance missions.
You will get a file… from me or a colleague… with the proposed target. The file will contain [the target’s] photo, his data, his details, date of birth, age, and a description of him. There’ll be information on his car, if he has one. When you go to the target, don’t take a phone.
Foma, exile running an undercover network in Russia
Foma emphasized that while the GUR suggests targets, his team independently verifies whether specific individuals qualify as military criminals before agreeing to proceed.
Broader Tactics and Unverified Claims
While Ukrainian authorities have acknowledged employing secret agents and executing coordinated drone strikes against legitimate targets inside Russia, the specific claims made by Ivan and Foma remain difficult to verify independently. Kyiv maintains a policy of not officially admitting responsibility for targeted attacks abroad, though Ukrainian intelligence previously acknowledged involvement in the December 2024 killing of senior military figure Lt Gen Igor Kirillov.
Both Ivan and Foma expressed belief that their actions could help accelerate the collapse of Vladimir Putin’s regime if Russia loses the war in Ukraine.
At the moment… I think the [Putin] regime might fall if they lose the war… Through our actions… we are trying to speed this up.
Ivan, undercover saboteur
