Swiped into a death trap: Putin’s ‘honey trap’ assassins hunt Ukrainian soldiers

Ukrainian soldiers are being hunted through a chilling new weapon of Russia’s shadow war — fake romance.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has warned that Russian intelligence agencies have dramatically escalated attempts to kill military personnel using “honey traps”, luring troops into deadly ambushes through bogus online dating profiles and fake relationships.

Ukraine’s military counterintelligence unit says it has uncovered more than 50 assassination attempts since the start of 2026, with Russian operatives allegedly using dating platforms and private messenger groups to identify and target soldiers.

The sinister tactic relies on deception rather than firepower. Agents create convincing fake accounts, build trust with their targets and arrange meetings at locations chosen in advance for an attack.

According to the SBU, some plots involved explosives planted at rendezvous points, while others used poisoned gifts disguised as acts of kindness, the Kyiv Post reported.

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In one case, an alleged Russian intelligence operative in the Kharkiv region posed as a volunteer offering help to a Ukrainian soldier — but the food and medicine she delivered had reportedly been contaminated with poison.

Another plot involved a soldier being sent a bottle of liquid described as a gift to drink during an online video date. Ukrainian investigators intercepted the package before it reached him and found a potentially fatal dose of methadone.

In a separate case in Zaporizhzhia, investigators said an FSB-directed attacker attempted to murder a Ukrainian soldier after he was lured to an industrial area under the promise of a romantic meeting.

Instead of a date, the soldier was allegedly confronted by a masked attacker who stabbed him six times before being detained by Ukrainian authorities.

The SBU said the woman behind the fake dating profile had been working under Russian direction to lure the soldier to the location.

The revelations highlight a growing battlefield where espionage, cyber manipulation and psychological warfare are becoming as important as conventional weapons. As Ukraine’s frontline troops remain under pressure from Russian forces, intelligence officials warn that soldiers are increasingly vulnerable not only on the battlefield — but through their phones.