Russia Drops Fake Money With QR Codes in Chernihiv and Sumy Border Regions
AI Analysis
Russian drones have been dropping fake Ukrainian currency with QR codes in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions, aiming to provoke locals into sharing coordinates for potential strikes. Local officials warn against scanning these codes, which link to hostile resources.
Key Takeaways
- Russian drones are dropping fake Ukrainian money with QR codes in border regions.
- The QR codes encourage locals to share coordinates for Russian strikes.
- Local authorities in Chernihiv and Sumy have issued warnings against interacting with the bills.
- The tactic is seen as a provocation and psychological operation by Russia.
- The regions have been experiencing blackouts due to Russian drone strikes on energy infrastructure.
Why It Matters
This tactic represents a novel psychological operation by Russia, using drones to distribute propaganda and potentially gather intelligence. It highlights the evolving use of drones in warfare beyond traditional surveillance and attack roles, emphasizing the need for robust counter-UAS measures and public awareness campaigns to mitigate such threats.
Russia has begun dropping fake Ukrainian money with “hostile” QR codes in the border Chernihiv and Sumy regions, according to local officials on Thursday.
The bills resemble Ukraine’s hryvna banknotes but with an extra banner on top depicting a QR code, with texts that say, “Share the coordinates and help start a fire. You will get real [money],” according to photos shared by Oleh Hrihorov, the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration.
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On the other side of the bill, a QR code is also depicted, with text reading, “Read underground news and get real news.”
The banknotes shown have a denomination of Hr.100 ($2.28); The texts were written in Ukrainian instead of Russian.
In his Facebook update, Hrihorov said the bills were dropped by Russian drones in two districts in the Sumy region bordering Russia. He said the bills “contain hostile messages” and include QR codes that “lead to hostile resources.”
He called it “an attempt at provocation” and warned locals not to scan the code, and instead inform local authorities if they discover the bills.
Officials in the northern Chernihiv region bordering Russia and Belarus also issued a similar update on Thursday morning.
The region’s Koryukiv Regional Administrative District wrote on Telegram that “leaflets in the form of banknotes with a QR code” were found dropped by a Russian drone in Snovsk, a city northeast of the regional capital of Chernihiv.
Pavlo Miroshnychenko, head of the Koryukiv Regional Air Defense Force, urged locals not to pick up the bills or scan the QR codes in the update.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) regularly reports cases of Russian agents – motivated by both financial and ideological means – aiding strikes on Ukrainian facilities, at times including active service members.
The Chernihiv region has experienced extensive blackouts in recent winters due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Sumy region – alongside six other regions – has been experiencing blackouts on Thursday following overnight Russian drone strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy grid, according to state energy operator Ukrenergo.
Leo Chiu is a journalist and editor based in Eastern Europe since 2015. He has witnessed two presidential elections in Belarus and traveled widely to conflict zones and contested regions, producing reporting that bridges the gap between major developments and local realities.