KYIV — Russia’s intelligence services are recruiting Ukrainian teenagers to carry out acts of espionage and sabotage on Ukrainian soil, according to a report published Monday by the Financial Times, citing senior Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian authorities say the Federal Security Service (FSB) has been systematically targeting vulnerable youth, including orphans, displaced persons, and those facing financial hardship, offering cash incentives in exchange for dangerous missions. The recruitment often occurs via social media platforms like Telegram, officials said.
In one recent case, a 16-year-old boy was arrested in Dnipro while attempting to photograph a Ukrainian military facility. Ukrainian counterintelligence officials told the FT that the teen had been recruited by the FSB and that the images were likely intended to assist Russian missile or drone strikes.
“Russia is acting aggressively and committing a range of crimes against our national security, including the recruitment of our own citizens,” said Vasyl Maliuk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
According to SBU spokesperson Artem Dekhtiarenko, Ukraine has made over 700 arrests since spring 2024 in connection with espionage, arson, and the planting of explosive devices — all allegedly organized by Russian intelligence. Roughly 25% of those arrested (175 individuals) were minors.
Dekhtiarenko explained that the FSB’s campaign began with small-scale sabotage, such as the burning of vehicles and electrical infrastructure, before escalating to attacks on military recruitment centers. He also claimed that Russia has begun using Ukrainians in suicide missions — a shift in tactics reflecting the Kremlin’s growing desperation and dwindling pool of willing adult collaborators.
Financial Incentives Amid Diplomatic Isolation
Officials believe Russia’s push to recruit youth is partly due to a shortage of trained operatives, especially after the 2022 expulsion of around 600 Russian diplomats from Western nations — many of whom were suspected of being undercover intelligence officers.
To fill the gap, the FSB has turned to offering money for sabotage, aiming to exploit the desperation or ideological vulnerability of young Ukrainians.
Recruitment of Minors Extends Beyond Ukraine
The trend is not limited to Ukraine. In early June, Reuters reported that at least 12 teenagers across Europe — including in Germany, the UK, Poland, and Lithuania — had been arrested in connection with Russian-linked sabotage or espionage activities. Dozens more are reportedly under investigation in Ukraine.
The use of minors in intelligence operations has raised alarm across Europe, with security officials warning of a disturbing new front in Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy.
