Russia recruited Ukrainian teenagers to blow up schools, shoot classmates, SBU says

Prefer on Google by Polina Moroziuk A suspect detained by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) in connection with a planned school attack case. (Security Service of Ukraine) Planned attacks on two schools were prevented in Kirovohrad and Odesa oblasts, involving minors allegedly recruited by Russia, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and police said on April 23. According to investigators, Russian operatives recruited the teenagers through social media platforms and messaging apps, including Telegram and TikTok, where they were given step-by-step instructions on preparing attacks. "As a result of preemptive measures, two local high school students were apprehended, they had been ordered by the Russian Federation to blow up their schools and shoot their classmates with firearms," the SBU said . Authorities said the recruitment was carried out in part through a Telegram channel identified as "ETERSSA," which investigators say is used to target and recruit minors in Ukraine. According to the SBU, handlers manipulated the teenagers by appealing to ideas such as achieving a "just goal," protecting relatives, or "punishing" those who had offended them. In Kirovohrad Oblast , a 15-year-old student was identified after allegedly receiving instructions from a Russian handler to assemble an improvised explosive device using household materials. According to the investigation, the teenager planned to bring the explosive device to his school and detonate it during a break between classes. Authorities also said he intended to use a firearm and a knife during the attack. Items seized by Ukrainian law enforcement, including a homemade explosive device and its components, in a case involving a planned attack on a school, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Law enforcement officers intervened before the plan could be carried out and documented the suspect's communication with the alleged handler. During searches, officers seized an improvised explosive device, its components, a firearm, and electronic devices containing evidence, the SBU said. In Odesa Oblast , authorities uncovered a separate case involving an 11-year-old boy at the stage of alleged recruitment. Investigators said Russian operatives planned to send him a package containing a firearm and a knife for use in an attack on a school. The SBU added that the recruited minors were allegedly encouraged not only to carry out the attacks but also to take their own lives afterward, which investigators said was intended to eliminate witnesses. The 15-year-old suspect in Kirovohrad Oblast has been formally charged with preparing a terrorist act, an offense that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing. The SBU frequently reports on uncovering and disrupting Russian agent operations and terrorist plots against military and civilian targets. The FSB often target individuals in vulnerable situations, including those facing financial difficulties or with prior criminal records.