Russia recruited teenagers to carry out sabotage operations in the Kyiv region

Russian intelligence agencies attempted to recruit two minors from the Kyiv region to carry out acts of sabotage. According to the SBU, a 17-year-old boy was forced to set trucks on fire, while a 16-year-old was being prepared to block a road. To recruit the teenagers, the Russians initially used fake Telegram accounts belonging to girls.

 

The Security Service of Ukraine stated that it had thwarted an attempt by Russian intelligence agencies to carry out a sabotage operation in the Kyiv region. To this end, the Russians decided to use two local minors. According to the case file, Russian intelligence agents forced a 17-year-old boy to set fire to vehicles belonging to a local logistics company. According to the SBU, he managed to set several trucks on fire and attempted to destroy a few more.

 

But the boy’s tasks did not end there. He was also instructed to buy a package of screws, hide it in a designated location, and provide the Russian handler with the geolocation of the hiding place. After that, another teenager—a 16-year-old local resident—was supposed to go to the hiding place. Russian intelligence agencies also tried to recruit him for sabotage operations. According to the handlers’ plan, the 16-year-old was supposed to retrieve the screws from the hiding place and scatter them on one of the roads in the Kyiv region. In this way, the Russians hoped to temporarily halt truck traffic.

 

The SBU managed to uncover this scheme before it could be fully carried out. Security service officers detained the 17-year-old suspect after the trucks were set on fire. As investigators determined, both teenagers were recruited separately. To do this, Russian intelligence officers used Telegram chats where young people were looking for romantic relationships. At first, the teenagers met girls there. But, according to the SBU, these accounts were fake. Russian intelligence agencies were behind them.

 

After some time, the “girls” stopped responding. After that, another man began communicating with the teenagers. He introduced himself as an SBU officer. During the conversation, the Russian handler claimed that their new “acquaintances” had allegedly been detained for treason. After that, the teenagers were threatened with legal trouble. They were told that they could allegedly become accomplices to a crime and also face prosecution.

 

To avoid these fabricated charges, the Russian man offered to “help the investigation.” In reality, according to the Ukrainian security service, this was an attempt to draw them into carrying out sabotage missions. The SBU emphasizes that Russian intelligence agencies are increasingly attempting to recruit minors online. To do so, they may use online acquaintances, blackmail, threats, or promises of money.

In this case, deception was one of the main tools used. The teenagers were first lured into communicating with fake girls and then manipulated with a fabricated story about criminal prosecution. The 17-year-old suspect has already been notified of the charges against him. He is charged with the intentional destruction or damage of another person’s property by arson.

The teenager is currently in custody. Under this charge, he faces up to ten years in prison. The investigation is ongoing. Investigators must identify all individuals who may have been involved in organizing the sabotage and recruiting the teenagers.

The operation was carried out by officers of the Security Service of Ukraine’s Main Directorate in Kyiv and the Kyiv Region. The Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing the proceedings. The Security Service also urged the public to report any recruitment attempts or threats from Russian intelligence agencies. The SBU hotline at 1516 is available for this purpose. Such incidents can also be reported via email at [email protected] or through the chatbot “Burn the FSB Agent.”

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