A 16-year-old Russian boy has been arrested on charges of attempting to sabotage a section of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Set Fire to Signal Panels
He was at the alleged direction of Ukrainian intelligence according to Russian authorities.
The Investigative Committee, responsible for major criminal cases in Russia, stated that the teenager was detained in the Kirov region.
He allegedly planned to set fire to two signaling and control panels on the railway in exchange for a promised payment of 25,000 rubles (approximately €250).
The act, investigators claim, could have caused a train collision or derailment.
Admitted to Plan
Authorities also reported discovering equipment for making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and messages exchanged with Ukrainian intelligence agents on the boy’s devices.
According to Digi24, the teenager confessed to the plan, saying he was motivated by the promised payment.
This case is part of a larger trend in Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Arrests for charges like espionage, treason, sabotage, and extremism have risen sharply, with authorities cracking down on dissent and opposition to the war.
Thousands of individuals have been fined, threatened, or imprisoned for anti-war activities.
This is not the first instance of Russian teenagers being implicated in acts of sabotage. In 2023, two 15-year-olds from the Kaluga region were arrested for attempting to derail trains by placing metal objects on railway tracks. Authorities claimed the boys had been influenced by online propaganda tied to Ukraine.
In another case, an 18-year-old in the Bryansk region was sentenced to eight years in prison for attempting to damage railway infrastructure. Prosecutors alleged he was acting under instructions from individuals connected to Ukraine.
The Russian government has frequently accused Ukraine of recruiting young people through social media and encrypted messaging apps to carry out acts of sabotage. These incidents highlight the increasing role of youth in clandestine operations amid heightened tensions between the two nations.
