Russian intelligence recruit Ukrainian minors for arsons of military vehicles -reports
Source: Skhemy
Russian intelligence services appear to use a new sabotage tactics recruiting Ukrainian minors to set fire to military vehicles and military recruitment offices. The scheme uses a netwo of chat bots and Telegram channels where teenagers take the bait when offered “quick cash” for arson acts.
The report by Skhemy reveals the great number of young Ukrainians roped into this operation. The journalistic report features interviews with minors apprehended by the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) and National Police, as well as direct contact with the Russian handlers.
Recruitment follows a common pattern: potential arsonists, mostly teenagers, stumble upon odd jobs lists on Telegram where they are offered a good reward for torching Ukrainian Railways equipment, military vehicles and offices. Teens are often tasked with setting a fire to vehicles “with crosses or green with black plates,” according to coordinators. Once a target is located and approved, detailed arson instructions follow, and the perpetrator must send a video of the act as proof.
Since May 2024, over 150 individuals have been arrested for setting military vehicles ablaze, many of them minors, as Russian handlers see no problem in recruitment of under-18s for the sabotage acts.
Rewards for such assignments range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars that are promised to be transfered via cryptocurrency or Ukrainian bank cards. Many youths fall into this trap often ending up with no reward at all.
One of Russian handlers allegedly claimed that the payments come from “state funds,” presumably meaning Russian state funding. The goal of arsons is to “create a visual spectacle of chaos and destabilize Ukraine”.
The sabotage campaign often sees call center clerks acting as middlemen between the Russian intelligence and the recruited Ukrainians. Investigation suggests that the notorious 316th Intelligence Center of Russia’s General Staff, known as the GRU, could be behind this plot.
Analysis of various Telegram groups proves that such schemes originate in Russia with most such Telegram channels acting in a coordinated effort, using the same posts and strategies.
A kamikaze drone flies directly toward an armored personnel carrier. But instead of penetrating the hull, it explodes on a steel screen. The crew survives. This is the new reality for Ukrainian forces, who have received enhanced protection thanks to the Metinvest project within “Steel Front of Rinat Akhmetov”.
To commemorate the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, “Bukvy” has compiled data on the largest donors supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among them there are charitable foundations and businesses. The list includes, in particular, foundations that provide assistance exclusively from their own resources, without fundraising (such as SCM by Rinat Akhmetov, Epicenter, etc.).
In just 1.5 months, Ukrainian specialists have created an innovative protective shell for the control modules of anti-aircraft missile systems (AMS) Patriot and Iris-T SLM. This development was another step in strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, aimed at protecting key elements of the air defense system from debris damage.
Military serviceman of the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine with the call sign “Paradox” is the crew commander of the American M113 armored personnel carrier. He is a master at using it and is constantly improving, because the legionnaire’s skills are tested every day in battle. You have to drive to the front lines, often under artillery fire and drone attacks.
Notorious supporter of the concept “in order for a cow to eat less and give more milk, it needs to be fed less and milked more” “Servant of the People” Danylo Hetmantsev, under the guise of “business requirements”, registered a draft law on the collection of VAT on all foreign purchases, regardless of their value. In other words, every Ukrainian, buying goods of any value and purpose abroad, when sending them to Ukraine, will have to pay an additional fifth part, or 20% of the cost of the goods.