Washington’s campaign to lure Russian citizens into becoming spies is doomed to fail because the Russians will not allow a foreign power to stir up confusion at home, Anatoly Antonov, the country’s ambassador to the US, has said.

His statement came after the CIA released a new ad urging Russians to share information with the agency. Antonov said the move was part of “the hybrid war” unleashed against Moscow.

“The ill-wishers in the West, ever since the defeat of Napoleon, realized the steadfastness of our country against attacks from outside,” Antonov said in a statement on the embassy’s Telegram channel on Thursday, referring to the failed French invasion of 1812. 

“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 ambassador said. 

I firmly believe that this provocation won’t work. Russian people have learned the lessons of history well and will not allow [anyone] to split our unity. 

The diplomat added that Moscow’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine “enjoys consensus support” in Russia and that the US authorities were “wasting American taxpayers’ dollars on futile projects.” 

The CIA ran several ads on social media in recent years that were aimed at coaxing Russians into becoming informants. In a video released on Tuesday, actors portrayed Russian citizens who had decided to contact the agency. “The CIA wants to know the truth about Russia, and we are looking for reliable people who know and can tell us this truth,” the agency said. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Moscow would retaliate against the “malicious activities” of the US.