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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) posted a recruitment video to its social media accounts on Monday, May 15, 2023. The one-minute and 51-second-long clip features Hollywoodesque cinematic shots with narration in Russian. It asks the people from Russia to come forward and help the US foreign intelligence agency. The Central Intelligence Agency has created a new Telegram channel to further guide interested applicants to contact safely.
A Twitter user, @308winchester3, claimed to be a native speaker of Russian and tweeted the translation of the narration of the video. It also includes the following message from the CIA:
"People that surround you may not want to hear the truth. But we do. You aren't powerless. Contact us via a safe method."
The CIA's recruitment ad, seemingly uploaded in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (begun in February 2022), has gotten a lot of attention from netizens. Many showcased their intrigue towards the CIA's new recruitment technique, while others provided some epic reactions. One Twitter user even declared the clip the "Based America moment."
Netizens react as CIA posts recruitment video for Russians
The recruitment video went viral on the microblogging site in less than 24 hours. It is receiving all kinds of reactions from people. While one person called the Central Intelligence Agency's newest recruitment strategy a "Chad move, others said that the script was cheesy but the visuals were "pretty striking."
For the unversed, the recruitment video from the Central Intelligence Agency was first posted on a Telegram channel, which currently has over 8.08K subscribers. The channel created by the agency also features instructions for the Russians, primarily working with the military or in the field of intelligence, diplomacy, and science.
The Central Intelligence Agency's Telegram channel for Russians to contact safely
The Telegram channel has all the information and instructions regarding accessing the dark web and contacting the Central Intelligence Agency safely. The reason behind the United States intelligence agency's increased presence on Telegram is to be able to connect securely with individuals around the world. One of the messages also includes the link to the agency's hidden site on the dark web.
The Central Intelligence Agency has also tweeted about the launch of the Telegram channel. The channel aims at reaching individuals "in countries who have no access to other social media or independent media."
As the channel is getting more and more subscribers, Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, has called Telegram "a very convenient resource for tracking applicants." The statement was given on May 16, 2023.
As mentioned, the new ad serves as a basis for an outreach program for the Russians, who are willing to provide the Central Intelligence Agency with valuable intelligence information. The recruitment ad can also be viewed as a psychological tactic on the agency's part amidst the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine after the former invaded the latter last year.
