January 19, 2023

Mobilization Lists Aren't on Telegram


Mobilization Lists Aren't on Telegram
Telegram. The Russian Life files.

On January 13, Meduza reported that a massive phishing attack on Telegram targeted Russian users, with bogus links to check mobilization lists. According to the Telegram channel In2security, this scheme could be the largest in the platform's history.

In September 2022, the Russian government began a "partial military mobilization" and announced its completion in October. However, President Vladimir Putin has not signed any official decree to end the draft, meaning it could be resumed at any time. As such, many Russians are anxious to see if they could be sent to the frontline next.

Hackers obtained a mailing list and sent malicious messages to users offering to check whether they or their loved ones would be drafted. Users would be redirected to a website asking them to enter personal information, and scammers would then steal their data and accounts.

In one instance, a bot claimed to allow users to scan mobilization lists but collected personal information and forced them to subscribe to a channel instead. As part of this attack, a different malicious message circulated and baited victims with a chance to vote on children's drawings for a contest. 

In December, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny, stated that Russia would launch a new attack in early 2023 and draft an additional 500,000 people. The press secretary of the president of the Russian Federation, Dimitry Peskov, urged the population to ignore these claims, but anxiety remains.

You Might Also Like

From Hero to Zero
  • January 11, 2023

From Hero to Zero

A Russian “hero” of the war in Ukraine was convicted for not showing up for military service.
Keep Calm and Be Polite
  • January 03, 2023

Keep Calm and Be Polite

The United Russia party has developed a code of conduct for deputies when they are interacting with media.
Let it Go, Let it Go
  • December 30, 2022

Let it Go, Let it Go

Russian men mobilized to fight in Russia's War on Ukraine will be able to freeze and store their sperm for free.
Dangerous Dreams
  • December 23, 2022

Dangerous Dreams

Russians are being fined for their dreams, "likes," and "silent support."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955