Russian Threat Actors Respond To Military Mobilization

Russian Threat Actors Respond To Military Mobilization

Product Serial: B-2022-10-18a

TLP:CLEAR

In this brief, ZeroFox Intelligence shares discussions by Russian-speaking threat actors on deep and dark web forums about Russia's partial military mobilization.

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Scope Note

ZeroFox Intelligence is derived from a variety of sources, including—but not limited to—curated open-source accesses, vetted social media, proprietary data sources, and direct access to threat actors and groups through covert communication channels. Information relied upon to complete any report cannot always be independently verified. As such, ZeroFox applies rigorous analytic standards and tradecraft in accordance with best practices and includes caveat language and source citations to clearly identify the veracity of our Intelligence reporting and substantiate our assessments and recommendations. All sources used in this particular Intelligence product were identified prior to 1:00 PM (EDT) on October 10, 2022; per cyber hygiene best practices, caution is advised when clicking on any third-party links.

Executive Summary

Deep and dark web actors have begun to broker methods to circumvent Russia’s partial military mobilization announced in late September, including options for dodging the draft. Some of the services are likely attempts at scams or honeypots, and in some cases, it is unlikely the actors are capable of delivering what they have promised. However, the speed with which these methods began to appear in underground channels demonstrates anxiety amongst the Russian-speaking threat actor community, which is openly discussing this topic in forums that usually ban such rhetoric.