Russia is systematically recruiting Ukrainian children and teenagers through Telegram and other online platforms to carry out sabotage attacks within their own country, offering payments for acts ranging from arson to bombings, according to Ukrainian security services. This campaign exploits economic vulnerability and grievances, with hundreds of minors allegedly involved in plots that have led to arrests, injuries, and deaths, highlighting a disturbing tactic in the ongoing conflict.
In one recent case, a 17-year-old known as Vlad traveled 500 miles from eastern Ukraine to Rivne in July, where he attempted to plant a bomb in a military conscription van after being promised $2,000. He described the fear of handling explosives, saying, “When I was connecting the wires, I thought it could explode then. I thought I might die.” Ukrainian security services, who had him under surveillance, foiled the attack, and Vlad now faces terrorism charges with a potential 12-year prison sentence. He admitted to considering the risks but justified his actions by citing widespread dislike for conscription officers, reflecting how recruiters tap into local frustrations.
The scale of this recruitment is alarming, with Ukraine’s SBU security service reporting over 800 Ukrainians identified as recruits over the past two years, including 240 minors—some as young as 11. Cybersecurity expert Anastasiia Apetyk notes attempts to recruit children as young as nine or 10, indicating a deliberate strategy to target the vulnerable. Andriy Nebytov, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s National Police, emphasized that minors often fail to grasp the consequences, making them easy prey for handlers who use them to create explosives from household chemicals and plant them at targets like recruitment offices or police stations.
Recruitment primarily occurs on Telegram, but also extends to TikTok and video game platforms, where handlers pose as employers offering high-paying remote work. Those recruited are typically motivated by financial need rather than pro-Russian sympathies; Vlad, for instance, had no prior criminal involvement and sought work online before being contacted within minutes by a handler named Roman. This approach blends into ordinary online spaces, with ads for unspecified part-time jobs appearing in groups for refugees or beauty tips, quickly shifting to offers for sabotage.
Handlers provide detailed instructions and payment scales, such as $1,500 for burning a post office or $3,000 for a bank, with advice on overcoming security measures. However, payments are often unreliable—Vlad received only $100 for an arson attack after being promised $1,500, illustrating how recruits are manipulated. The BBC observed Telegram channels featuring unverified videos of explosions and fires, with one recruiter stating, “I need all the arson I can get,” and promising quick payments upon proof, though many accounts remain active despite reports to Telegram.
Ukrainian authorities have publicly accused Russian intelligence agents of orchestrating these campaigns, though independent verification is challenging. Similar patterns have emerged in Europe, such as in the UK where six men were jailed for a Russian-ordered arson attack on a Ukraine aid warehouse. The Russian Embassy in London denied involvement, instead accusing Ukraine of reciprocal sabotage using Russian citizens, underscoring the difficulty in attributing blame in this shadowy aspect of the war.
The consequences for recruits are severe: many face lengthy prison sentences, while others have died in explosions, such as a 17-year-old killed in Ivano-Frankivsk in March when a bomb detonated prematurely. The SBU alleges that Russian handlers sometimes remotely trigger devices to eliminate evidence, adding to the dangers. In response, Ukraine is intensifying efforts to educate teenagers about the risks, with SBU officers visiting schools to warn that sabotage leads to jail or death.
As the conflict persists, this recruitment tactic not only undermines Ukrainian security but also exploits youth desperation, with Vlad urging others to avoid the temptation, noting that recruiters “will either cheat you, and then you will end up in prison just like me, or you can take a bomb in your hands and it will simply blow you up.” The situation highlights the evolving nature of hybrid warfare, where online platforms become battlegrounds, and calls for greater international scrutiny of such operations to protect vulnerable populations.
