According to a report by the Financial Times published Monday, Russian intelligence agencies have begun recruiting Ukrainian adolescents to conduct espionage and sabotage operations within Ukraine, as stated by senior officials in Kyiv.
Ukrainian authorities informed the FT that Russia has been systematically focusing on young people, especially teenagers, orphans, those displaced by conflict, and individuals experiencing financial difficulties or in search of extra income.
In a recent incident, a 16-year-old was apprehended in Dnipro after being recruited by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) through Telegram, as reported by Ukrainian security officials.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had been tracking this individual and arrested him while he was attempting to photograph a military site in Dnipro. Counterintelligence officials suspect that the gathered information could serve to direct Russian missiles or drones.
Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the SBU, stated to the FT that Russia is pursuing an aggressive agenda, committing various offenses against national security, including enlisting agents from within Ukraine.
The SBU has made over 700 arrests connected to espionage, arson, and the placement of explosive devices attributed to Russian intelligence since the spring of 2024, according to SBU spokesperson Artem Dekhtiarenko.
Dekhtiarenko revealed that among those detained, approximately 175, or about 25%, were minors.
He mentioned to the FT that the recruitment initiative began last spring, initially involving tasks such as setting vehicles and electricity hubs on fire near railway lines.
Following this, the FSB “refined their approach and began targeting military recruitment centers,” he noted, adding that “earlier this year, they escalated efforts to use Ukrainians as suicide bombers.”
Reports indicate that the FSB has started offering monetary incentives for espionage and sabotage as the pool of Ukrainians willing to collaborate with Russia has diminished since the full-scale invasion.
Moreover, it is believed that Moscow’s dependence on untrained operatives has increased due to the expulsion of around 600 Russian diplomats from Western nations in 2022, many of whom were suspected of functioning as covert intelligence agents.
Additionally, reports suggest that minors in various European countries have also been targeted by Russian intelligence.
In early June, Reuters reported that at least 12 teenagers in Europe were arrested for their involvement in sabotage and espionage activities linked to Russia, including incidents in the UK, Germany, Poland, and Lithuania.
The agency also cited instances of numerous teenagers in Ukraine facing similar accusations.
