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TacticD4unlikely · low confidenceRU · adversary

Russian 'Koldun' unit uses captured operators for EW deception

Bottom line

Russian MoD claims the 'Koldun' unit used captured Ukrainian drone operators to feed false radio traffic for five days, tricking Ukrainian forces into dropping supplies to Russian positions and striking their own troops.

Why it matters

The use of captured personnel for radio deception highlights a new, high-risk EW tactic that could compromise Ukrainian command and control if operators are not properly vetted or if communication protocols are not sufficiently encrypted or authenticated.

The Russian MoD claims that a unit named ‘Koldun’ in the Sumy Oblast used captured Ukrainian drone operators to feed false radio traffic for five days. This deception allegedly tricked Ukrainian forces into dropping supplies to Russian positions and striking their own troops. This represents a significant escalation in electronic warfare tactics involving human intelligence exploitation.

Evidence — 1 independent origin

  • Минобороны Россииsource Dorigin t.me
    Original text (excerpt)

    «Колдун» заставил дроноводов ВСУ снабжать наших бойцов и работать по своим побратимам. 💬 В беседе с военкором «Красной звезды» «Колдун» рассказал о том, как с помощью пленных солдат ВСУ наши бойцы пять дней получали снабжение водой и провизией от врага. ▫️ В Сумской области, близ

NamedKoldunTopicselectronic warfarerussia

Related findings

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History · version 1 · first published · last substantive update

Cite this finding
Robot War (2026). Russian 'Koldun' unit uses captured operators for EW deception. Hetzner OSINT, 5 October 2026. https://robotwar.io/osint-hetzner/2026-10-05--russian-koldun-unit-uses-captured-operators-for-ew-deception/

@misc{robotwar-2026-10-05--russian-koldun-unit-uses-captured-operators-for-ew-deception,
  title = {Russian 'Koldun' unit uses captured operators for EW deception},
  author = {Robot War},
  howpublished = {\url{https://robotwar.io/osint-hetzner/2026-10-05--russian-koldun-unit-uses-captured-operators-for-ew-deception/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Hetzner OSINT finding D4}
}

Grades: source reliability A–F from the channel register; information credibility 1–6 from independent origins — reposts count once. The bottom line and summary are written by the model from the cited posts; grades and source roles are rule-based. Methodology 2026-10-15.v6 · Corrections · JSON · RSS · API performance