SBU: 22% of Russian intelligence services' recruits in Ukraine are minors

Almost a fifth (22%) of those recruited by Russian intelligence services for operations in Ukraine are minors. These people were used for sabotage or terrorist attacks, Security Service of Ukraine spokesperson Artem Dekhtyarenko told Radio Liberty.

According to him, the Russian special services also recruit the unemployed (55%) and people with various addictions to carry out their tasks.

“The Russians mostly recruit minors, the unemployed, and people with various addictions to perform their tasks. Say, addiction to drugs, alcohol, or gambling. Our statistics show 22% of the exposed perpetrators to be underage, 55% are unemployed, and 7% of the perpetrators had previously been convicted for various crimes. These people are more easily susceptible to psychological manipulation, because young people are not able to fully assess the consequences of their actions, and addicts need money at any cost,” Dekhtyarenko said.

The SBU spokesperson noted that setting Ukrainian military vehicles on fire and railway sabotage intensified in May 2024, but the recruitment of children (in particular for setting up explosions) began in early 2025.

“Arson of Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicles and sabotage on the railways intensified around May 2024. And in early 2025, the Russian special services have once again shown that they have no red lines and have switched to terrorist attacks using explosives. And they even recruit teenagers for such crimes. The youngest perpetrators of Russian orders, whom the SBU caught setting Ukrzaliznytsia relay cabinets on fire, were teenage agents aged 13. The oldest is a 52-year-old man who tried to plant explosives in Dnipro city,” the SBU spokesman said.

In January 2025, the SBU released a video ad “Expose the FSB” to counter the recruitment of young people by Russian special services and to prevent arsons, terrorist attacks, and sabotage.