Over 260 Ukrainian Children Help Foil Russian-Recruited Terror Attacks, Police Say
More than 260 Ukrainian children have contacted police and helped prevent terrorist attacks they were allegedly being recruited to carry out by Russian operatives, Ukraine’s National Police says, warning of increasingly aggressive recruitment schemes targeting minors and civilians.
Over 260 Ukrainian children have assisted law enforcement in thwarting terrorist attacks they were being recruited to carry out, according to the National Police. Deputy head Andriy Nebytov, head of the Criminal Police Department, stated that Russian intelligence services targeted children for sabotage and other attacks. The police quoted Nebytov, saying, "Already 260 children have contacted law enforcement and helped prevent terrorist attacks they were intended to be used for."
Police warned against following instructions from strangers, especially if threatened or blackmailed, and advised immediate contact with law enforcement if pressured into illegal tasks. Russian operatives lure people who have purchased dietary supplements, posing as SBU employees and using psychological pressure to coerce victims into illegal activities like photographing sites, setting fires, or attempting terrorist attacks.
Children have become a primary target for such schemes, with Russian operatives using social media and messaging platforms to offer financial incentives for seemingly simple tasks. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, 44 cases of such recruitment attempts involving children in Kharkiv Oblast have been documented by Ukrainian authorities.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
