Youth Recruitment: Ukrainian Teen Saboteurs Lured by Promises of Cash

Thu Nov 20 2025 12:57:15 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

An alarming trend arises as Ukrainian minors are recruited via social media, especially Telegram, to execute sabotage missions against their own country amidst the ongoing conflict.

Ukrainian authorities report an increasing number of minors being recruited online, particularly through Telegram, to conduct sabotage for financial gain. One 18-year-old, known as Vlad, traveled hundreds of miles to plant a bomb in exchange for promised payment. The SBU estimates over 800 individuals, including minors, have been recruited by Russia in this alarming trend. Officials warn of the dangers, emphasizing that such recruitment often targets vulnerable youths.

In July this year, a 17-year-old travelled 500 miles from his home in eastern Ukraine to collect a bomb and a phone hidden in a park in the western city of Rivne. He says he was promised $2,000 (£1,520) to plant the bomb in a van used by Ukraine's military conscription service.

When I was connecting the wires, I thought it could explode then. I thought I might die, he told the BBC. Vlad is one of hundreds of children and older teenagers who the Ukrainian government alleges have been recruited online by Russia, offering payment to carry out sabotage and other attacks against their own country. His name has been changed to protect his anonymity.

The SBU claims that over the past two years, more than 800 Ukrainians have been identified as having been recruited by Russia, with 240 of them minors, some as young as 11. Cyber security expert Anastasiia Apetyk revealed that efforts to lure children as young as nine or ten are also underway.

Andriy Nebytov, Deputy Head of Ukraine's National Police, mentioned that children often do not fully grasp the consequences of their actions, making them prime targets for manipulation by Russian handlers.

The recruitment primarily occurs on Telegram, with some also occurring on TikTok and video game platforms. Vlad claims he doesn't support Russia nor had any previous involvement with crime but was lured by an offer of performing remote work.

Ukrainian officials have accused Russian intelligence agencies of orchestrating these operations, with some sources indicating that certain teens have tragically died during these operations, with devices being detonated remotely. This ongoing issue reflects a broader theme of vulnerability among youth in conflict situations, where financial incentives often overshadow dire risks.

In the words of Vlad, now awaiting trial, It's not worth it. They 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.