Психологічна експертиза вербування до колабораційної діяльності // Психологічні виміри культури, економіки, управління : Науковий журнал. Україна, Львів. Випуск 29, 2026. 482 с. С.463-477.

Abstract

The article explores the psychological mechanisms of recruiting Ukrainian citizens for collaboration with the enemy in the context of a full-scale hybrid war. The transformation of classical methods of intelligence and sabotage activities into rapid, remote involvement of «disposable» amateur agents (agents-dilettantes) through social networks and religious organizations is analyzed. Three main groups of motivators are identified: ideological (moral-psychological), material-financial, and blackmail/threats. Attention is paid to the exploitation of vulnerable population categories, particularly youth, financial debtors, ideological adherents of the «Russian World» (russkiy mir), and relatives of prisoners of war. Working for the enemy is often masked as legal employment («courier services», «marketing research», «logistics checks»), and blackmail is used. In the occupied territories, an appeal to myths about «Novorossiya», «common destiny» (obshchuyu sudbu), and the «heroization» of the first collaborators is used to justify collaborationism, while russian education standards and «military-patriotic» organizations are used for recruiting children and youth.

Keywords: hybrid war, state treason, collaborationism, psychological mechanisms of recruitment, segmentation of potential collaborators, remote recruitment, mimicry of recruitment, motivators, agents-dilettantes, existential crisis as a motivator for betrayal.