A 14-year-old Ukrainian girl has been arrested in Ternopil after allegedly being blackmailed by Russian intelligence agents into planning a terrorist attack, according to a statement by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) released on March 21.
The girl was reportedly coerced into building and planting an explosive device outside a local police administration building.
Authorities say Russian agents intended to remotely detonate the bomb, killing the girl and nearby civilians.
“As a result of comprehensive operations in Ternopil, a 14-year-old schoolgirl was arrested after being recruited by the occupiers to carry out a suicide bombing with explosives near the local police district office,” the SBU wrote.
Recruitment via Telegram
Investigators found that the girl had initially been looking for quick money on Telegram, where she was approached by individuals linked to Russian intelligence.
The agents reportedly hacked her phone and uncovered compromising photos, which they used to blackmail her into cooperation.
Following instructions, the girl allegedly constructed an improvised explosive device (IED), concealed it in a backpack, and placed it beneath a car parked near the police building.
Ukrainian officials say this was intended to be a remote-detonated suicide bombing, with the girl herself being one of the intended victims.
The suspect is currently under house arrest, and prosecutors say she faces up to 10 years in prison along with asset confiscation.
Just over a week earlier, on March 11, Russian intelligence accidentally killed two of its own agents in Ivano-Frankivsk, when a bomb they were carrying exploded prematurely near a railway station, according to Ukrainian officials.
