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Nearly One Fourth of Russian Recruits for Terror Operations in Ukraine Are Minors

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Amira Barkhush
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Nearly One Fourth of Russian Recruits for Terror Operations in Ukraine Are Minors
Ukrainian teenagers dig trenches for soldiers serving on their country’s eastern front, near the eastern Ukraine village of Chervone, Donetsk region, on February 11, 2022. (Source: Getty Images)

22%, of those recruited by Russian intelligence services for operations in Ukraine are minors who have been used to prepare for sabotage or terrorist attacks, Radio Free Europe reported on April 2, citing Artem Dekhtiarenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).

Russian intelligence services also target unemployed individuals (55%) and those with various addictions.

“They primarily recruit minors, the unemployed, and people with different types of addictions, such as drug, alcohol, or gambling addictions. According to our statistics, 22% of the perpetrators we have exposed are minors, 55% are unemployed, and 7% have prior criminal records. ” Dekhtiarenko said.

“These individuals are more susceptible to psychological manipulation because young people are not fully capable of evaluating the consequences of their actions, and those with addictions need money at any cost.”

The spokesperson noted that arson attacks on Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicles and railway sabotage activities intensified in May 2024, while recruitment for organizing explosions, including minors, began at the start of 2025.

Vasyl Bohdan, Head of the Juvenile Prevention Department of the National Police of Ukraine, shared that there has been a decrease in the number of child recruitment cases compared to last year. However, reports of attempted child recruitment have increased.

“Cases of child recruitment began to surface in April of last year [2024], with the peak occurring at the end of summer and the beginning of fall. After that, the trend started to decline, but while early cases involved relatively simple tasks, such as from the basements of relay cabinets and cars, now, as we see, teenagers are being recruited for more complex sabotage and terrorist assignments. Alongside this, we are witnessing a sharp rise in reports to the police about attempts to recruit children.”

On March 21. the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police reported arresting a 14-year-old Ukrainian girl who was coerced by Russian agents into carrying out a terrorist attack in Ternopil.

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