In a chilling twist to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has arrested seven individuals, five of them teenagers, accused of plotting sabotage missions against Ukrainian military and police forces. The youngest suspect, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, was allegedly preparing explosives aimed at a Ukrainian soldier, while two other 14-year-old boys were reportedly planning to blow up a police car using homemade devices.
According to the SBU, these minors were recruited via Telegram channels run by Russian operatives, often disguised as anonymous accounts offering “easy money” for simple tasks. What started as innocent digital interactions quickly escalated into calculated plans to commit acts of terror, a disturbing trend that reflects a growing tactic in hybrid warfare: the weaponization of vulnerable youth.
“The perpetrators were recruited by the occupiers through Telegram channels advertising ‘easy money’,” the SBU stated. Investigators revealed that all seven suspects were tasked with either executing or facilitating attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on military and law enforcement targets. If convicted, the accused could face between 12 years to life in prison under Ukraine’s anti-terror laws.
This is not the first time that teenagers have been caught in the crosshairs of geopolitical manipulation. Both Kyiv and Moscow have increasingly accused each other of using social media to lure civilians, especially the young and financially desperate, into sabotage networks. These shadow operations not only exploit economic vulnerability but also blur the lines between victimhood and criminal culpability.
As the war grinds into its third year, Ukraine’s latest arrests raise urgent questions about digital warfare, radicalization, and the role of social platforms in fueling real-world violence.
