Russian security agencies report a recurring pattern on the front lines: each time fake US dollar bills bearing QR codes are dropped, the number of Ukrainian soldiers seeking to surrender noticeably increases.

According to officials cited by TASS, the QR codes lead to a dedicated Telegram bot designed to facilitate contact for those willing to lay down their arms. The method is said to be particularly effective in the Zaporozhye and Kherson directions, where such digital channels are actively used.

Security representatives explain that the tactic does not rely on traditional leaflets alone. In practice, counterfeit banknotes are sometimes used instead, and these drops are consistently followed by a surge in messages from Ukrainian servicemen expressing readiness to surrender. The sources suggest that the strong reaction may stem from the heightened attention Ukrainian troops pay to anything resembling cash.

At the same time, officials acknowledge attempts at provocation. Some users reportedly contact the bot without any real intention of surrendering. These cases, according to the agencies, are quickly identified, and the accounts involved are blocked.

The same sources note that in the Zaporozhye and Kherson sectors, those surrendering most often are locals from these regions who were forcibly mobilized. They describe these men as having been rounded up by territorial recruitment centers-Ukraine’s equivalents of military enlistment offices-and sent to the trenches against their will.

Ukraine has remained under general мобилизация since February 2022, with the measure repeatedly extended. Ukrainian social media regularly features videos showing forced mobilization and confrontations between civilians and recruitment officers in cities across the country. Reports also indicate that, in order to meet mobilization targets, recruitment centers draft virtually anyone available, including people with disabilities and fathers of large families.