WASHINGTON, May 18. /TASS/. Attempts by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to recruit Russians by posting propaganda videos are a blatant provocation and part of a hybrid war against Russia, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said on Wednesday.

"This is not the first brazen provocation by the American intelligence services. On the territory of the Embassy, for example, while using YouTube, the so-called targeted advertising in the form of recruitment videos on behalf of the FBI regularly pops up. You can also see the phone numbers which you can dial and become a traitor. It started last year. We are talking about a coordinated campaign under the hybrid war unleashed against the Russian Federation," the Russian Embassy’s Telegram channel quoted him as saying. The envoy made these remarks commenting on a recent video posted by the CIA on Telegram and social networks urging Russians to share information.

"The ill-wishers in the West, ever since the defeat of Napoleon, realized the steadfastness of our country against attacks from outside. And now, having failed to impose their sanctions blitzkrieg and realized the impossibility of inflicting a military defeat on us, they are trying to sow confusion in the Russian society. The main task is to make sure that we have everything turned upside down, and we no longer believe in ourselves. Then, they believe, one can take Russia with bare hands," the diplomat emphasized.

"I firmly believe that this provocation won’t work. Russian people have learned the lessons of history well and will not allow to split our unity. The Special military operation enjoys consensus support among the citizens and political forces of our country. This is the reality. This should be taken into account by pseudo-masterminds in Washington instead of wasting American taxpayers' dollars on futile projects," he noted.

On Monday, CIA operatives said on their Telegram channel that they established their presence there in order to address those who felt the need to cooperate with the agency. In a Russian-language propaganda video posted on the app, the CIA said it was seeking, in particular, to gather information about "the Russian economy or the country’s senior leadership."

CIA officials confirmed to CNN reporters on Monday that they expect their content and videos on Telegram will help entice Russians to "deliver information that the United States needs.".