A group of Ukrainian teenagers has been accused of setting fire to railway communication equipment in the Chernihiv region after allegedly being recruited online to carry out acts of sabotage, according to court documents and prosecutors.
Reuters reports that the incident took place in September 2024 near a village in northern Ukraine, an area that has been repeatedly struck during Russia’s invasion. Prosecutors say 15-year-old Vitalii and several other minors broke into railway signal cabinets, poured flammable liquid inside, and ignited the equipment.
The group recorded the fire on a cell phone, later extinguished it with bottled water, and shared the footage with another individual, who allegedly passed it to a person using the alias “Sania,” investigators said. That account was reportedly offering money for assigned tasks, according to the indictment.
Vitalii told investigators he received about $23 for his role. “You could say I was duped,” he said, according to an interview conducted while in detention. His lawyer is seeking to have the charge reduced from sabotage to intentional property damage, arguing there was no intent to harm the state.
Ukrainian authorities say the case is part of a wider pattern of minors being recruited through social media and messaging platforms. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) says more than 1,100 people have been accused of arson, sabotage, or related offenses since 2022, with minors making up about one-fifth of those cases.
According to Ukraine’s Justice Ministry, roughly half of minors charged in such cases have been convicted, while the rest have been acquitted, released, or given non-custodial sentences.
A March 2025 report from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said there had been a rise in “credible allegations” of children being used in surveillance and sabotage roles linked to the conflict. The report warned that such use of minors could violate international prohibitions on recruiting children in hostilities.
In some cases cited by Ukrainian authorities, minors have been injured or killed while handling explosive devices allegedly provided through online contacts.
The SBU has published blurred images of detained suspects on social media after arrests, prompting public reaction ranging from anger to concern. One online comment read, “These idiots! When he gets out of prison he won’t be able to live here, people won’t forgive!”
As of early 2026, prosecutors said 240 minors were involved in investigations tied to national security, arson, or suspected sabotage connected to foreign-linked recruitment efforts.
Authorities say most suspects are approached online by anonymous accounts offering payment for tasks, often without fully disclosing the nature of the activity involved.
Reuters reports that the incident took place in September 2024 near a village in northern Ukraine, an area that has been repeatedly struck during Russia’s invasion. Prosecutors say 15-year-old Vitalii and several other minors broke into railway signal cabinets, poured flammable liquid inside, and ignited the equipment.
The group recorded the fire on a cell phone, later extinguished it with bottled water, and shared the footage with another individual, who allegedly passed it to a person using the alias “Sania,” investigators said. That account was reportedly offering money for assigned tasks, according to the indictment.
Vitalii told investigators he received about $23 for his role. “You could say I was duped,” he said, according to an interview conducted while in detention. His lawyer is seeking to have the charge reduced from sabotage to intentional property damage, arguing there was no intent to harm the state.
Ukrainian authorities say the case is part of a wider pattern of minors being recruited through social media and messaging platforms. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) says more than 1,100 people have been accused of arson, sabotage, or related offenses since 2022, with minors making up about one-fifth of those cases.
According to Ukraine’s Justice Ministry, roughly half of minors charged in such cases have been convicted, while the rest have been acquitted, released, or given non-custodial sentences.
A March 2025 report from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said there had been a rise in “credible allegations” of children being used in surveillance and sabotage roles linked to the conflict. The report warned that such use of minors could violate international prohibitions on recruiting children in hostilities.
In some cases cited by Ukrainian authorities, minors have been injured or killed while handling explosive devices allegedly provided through online contacts.
The SBU has published blurred images of detained suspects on social media after arrests, prompting public reaction ranging from anger to concern. One online comment read, “These idiots! When he gets out of prison he won’t be able to live here, people won’t forgive!”
As of early 2026, prosecutors said 240 minors were involved in investigations tied to national security, arson, or suspected sabotage connected to foreign-linked recruitment efforts.
Authorities say most suspects are approached online by anonymous accounts offering payment for tasks, often without fully disclosing the nature of the activity involved.
