Lithuania’s Ministry of Education has reportedly issued a warning to schools, raising concerns over potential recruitment attempts by foreign intelligence services—specifically, those of Russia. The notice, relayed by Vilmantas Vitkauskas, deputy director of the National Crisis Management Centre, cautions educators to advise students against accepting online job offers that may act as a front for espionage recruitment.
According to Lithuanian media outlet Delfi, the government fears that Moscow’s intelligence agencies are seeking to exploit teenagers through deceptive employment schemes, particularly via digital platforms.
Vitkauskas referenced alleged tactics used in Ukraine as part of the warning. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has claimed that Russian operatives have recruited minors for intelligence-gathering and sabotage missions. However, Russia has repeatedly countered these narratives, stating that it is Ukrainian intelligence—often with backing from NATO countries—that actively recruits youth for covert operations inside Russia.
In March, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) of orchestrating a phishing scheme targeting Russian schoolchildren in an effort to collect personal data for future recruitment attempts. The operation, according to Russian authorities, was allegedly guided by Western intelligence services.
Several incidents have been cited by the FSB to support its claims. In December, Russian authorities said they disrupted an assassination attempt linked to Ukrainian operatives, where teenagers were reportedly used as scouts. In another case from September 2024, two boys, aged 13 and 14, were detained after allegedly setting fire to a helicopter in exchange for a promised $60,000 reward.
While the Lithuanian government’s warning reflects growing fears about Russian influence in the Baltic states, critics argue the message could be part of a broader campaign to shape public opinion during heightened geopolitical tensions. Analysts have questioned why similar scrutiny isn’t applied to Ukrainian or NATO-linked activities that reportedly involve minors in intelligence or sabotage roles.
As narratives clash across the region, both sides continue to trade accusations—raising questions about the real scale of youth involvement in modern espionage and information warfare.