Children recruited by Russia may have dual status in criminal cases
Ukrainian prosecutors have begun recognizing minors recruited by Russian intelligence services to commit crimes in Ukraine as victims. These are teenagers who are drawn into arson, sabotage, destruction of property, and other offenses. At the same time, in some cases, they may also remain suspects, effectively giving them a dual procedural status. The Office of the Prosecutor General explains that such children need not only a legal assessment of their actions but also psychological and other assistance.
Ukraine has changed its approach to criminal cases involving minors whom Russian special services recruit to commit crimes. Now, such children can be recognized not only as suspects but also as victims of the actions of Russian agents. This was stated by Andriy Leshchenko, Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
According to him, the Office of the Prosecutor General has recently begun applying this new practice. The reason is that the Ukrainian side views teenagers recruited by Russian special services not only as individuals who may have committed a specific crime, but also as those who were deliberately drawn in and exploited for this purpose.
Why Russia Recruits Teenagers
According to Leshchenko, minors may be involved in various crimes on Ukrainian territory. These include arson, sabotage, destruction of property, and even murder. “Such children are used for arson, murder, sabotage, destruction of property, and other crimes,” explained the Deputy Prosecutor General. He noted that in such cases, the consequences can be serious not only for a specific person or property. Such crimes can cause material damage, pose a threat to people’s lives, and affect Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
According to the prosecutor, teenagers may be targeted precisely because they do not always fully understand the consequences of their actions or the danger to society posed by what they are being asked to do. In such schemes, Russian handlers may first establish contact with a teenager and then gradually persuade them to carry out specific tasks. The details of the recruitment and the method of communication with specific minors depend on each individual case.
Why Children Are Now Being Recognized as Victims
The Office of the Prosecutor General explains that the new approach stems from the need to take into account the role of the minors themselves in such schemes. Leshchenko noted that international law explicitly prohibits the use of children as soldiers in armed conflict. At the same time, these cases do not involve teenagers being directly sent to the front lines.
However, he said, the consequences of such involvement can be very serious. Therefore, Ukraine has heeded the recommendations of its international partners and has begun recognizing such children as victims of the actions of Russian agents. In fact, in such cases, the investigation seeks to examine not only the teenager’s final action but also the entire chain of events—who found him, how contact was established with him, what was promised to him, what tasks were assigned to him, and who was behind those tasks.
This is important for the investigation itself, as the task of Ukrainian law enforcement is not only to identify the perpetrator but also to find the people who organized and coordinated such crimes.
Teenagers may have dual status
At the same time, being recognized as a victim does not automatically exempt someone from liability for any actions. That is why, in some cases, the same person may have two procedural statuses in different criminal proceedings. “We understand that if it weren’t for agents of the Russian Federation’s special services, these children would never have committed such crimes. But at the same time, unfortunately, they are already at an age where they are capable of understanding that such acts constitute offenses,” Leshchenko explained.
According to him, this leads to a situation where a teenager may be a victim in one criminal proceeding and a suspect in another. “Therefore, in such cases, they have dual status. In one criminal proceeding, they are victims; in another, they are suspects,” said the Deputy Prosecutor General.
In other words, the investigation assesses two separate issues: whether the child was a victim of recruitment and exploitation by Russian intelligence agencies, and whether the child can be held personally responsible for specific actions they committed.
Children and Their Families Receive Assistance
Once a minor is recognized as a victim, specialists from the Coordination Center for Victim and Witness Support at the Office of the Prosecutor General may work with them. This includes, in particular, psychological support. The child is also explained what is happening with their criminal case, why they are being questioned, how the investigation works, and what may happen next in court.
It is important that this support is provided only at the request of the child and their parents. This is particularly important for minors, as participating in criminal proceedings can be a difficult experience in and of itself. After communicating with Russian handlers, carrying out their instructions, and being detained, a child may not fully understand exactly what has happened to them. That is why the Office of the Prosecutor General strives to combine the investigation of the crime with support for the minor.
Such cases are already under investigation
For several years now, Ukrainian law enforcement officials have been reporting cases in which Russian special services have recruited minors to commit crimes in Ukraine. Most often, publicly available case files mention the arson of military vehicles, property damage, the transmission of information, and other tasks. In 2024, for example, law enforcement reported a large number of cases involving the arson of military vehicles, in which teenagers were among those identified as suspects. In such investigations, authorities also examined possible Russian involvement and the suspects’ contacts with their handlers.
In each case, law enforcement must establish the specific circumstances of the recruitment and the minor’s role. The mere fact of contact with a Russian representative or receiving a task from them does not automatically imply guilt in a specific crime—this must be proven within the framework of the relevant criminal proceedings.
Why the New Approach Is Important for the Investigation
The Office of the Prosecutor General wants to ensure that liability in such cases does not stop at the perpetrators. If a teenager was used as a perpetrator, investigators must determine exactly who recruited them, who assigned the tasks, how control was exercised, and whether other people were involved in the scheme.
Recognizing a minor as a victim can give them the opportunity to fully participate in the proceedings in precisely this capacity. At the same time, their own actions and the issue of liability are assessed separately. Thus, the Office of the Prosecutor General’s new practice does not mean that all recruited minors will automatically be exempt from liability. The point is to simultaneously take into account two facts: the minor may have committed a crime and, at the same time, become a victim of recruitment and exploitation by Russian special services.
The final decision regarding liability in each specific case must be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the minor’s age, the circumstances of the recruitment, the minor’s specific actions, and the evidence in the case. Deputy Prosecutor General Andriy Leshchenko discussed this in a comment to Censor.NET.
