Russia has been using Telegram to recruit Ukrainian teens for sabotage, paying them in cash and promises of quick money. At least 13 minors, including five girls, now serve prison sentences in Ukraine, while 300 others have been detained in similar cases, according to the Washington Post. The scheme lured youths from impoverished families, offering anywhere from $165 to 300,000 hryvnia for tasks that ranged from arson to planting explosives.
Yaroslav Suzanskyi, 16, saw a post on Telegram offering $165 for an “easy” job. After setting fire to a railway relay cabinet, he received 60,000 hryvnia—about $1,430—for a second assignment. When Ukrainian intelligence intercepted him before he could travel to a library to plant an explosive, he was arrested and later sentenced to five years, the post reported.
The plot deepened when 17‑year‑old Oleksii Babakov allegedly recruited 15‑year‑old Vikentii to plant a bomb outside a Kharkiv police station. Vikentii’s device detonated in a bin but caused no injuries; he was handed a three‑year sentence, while Babakov received four years for incitement. Another teen, Maksym Parshyn, accepted $300 to set fire to a railway cabinet and later filmed a friend burning a post office, saying he only did it because of financial need.
Deputy Justice Minister Yevhen Pikalov said the teens were motivated by money, not loyalty to Russia. The United Nations human rights office warned that Russia used children for sabotage against Ukrainian military‑linked targets. Moscow has denied the allegations and counter‑accused Ukrainian intelligence of similar tactics. The juveniles are housed at a correctional facility in Kremenchuk that limits mobile phones and social media access while providing education and sports.