A Russian military court has jailed a 15-year-old schoolgirl for five years in a penal colony after convicting her of attempting to set fire to railway signalling equipment at Bugach station on the Trans-Siberian Railway, an attack she allegedly carried out on behalf of Ukrainian secret services.
The girl, who was 14 at the time of the attempted attack, has been branded a "terrorist" by Russian authorities. The alleged arson attempt did not affect train movements, according to transport police. She reportedly told investigators that she had reported her attempt to her handler, whom she described as being "based outside Russia", a term seen as a reference to Ukrainian intelligence services.
Recruitment of Teenagers
The Russian Investigative Committee warned that "foreign intelligence agencies continue to actively recruit teenagers to take part in sabotage and terrorist activities, using social media and popular messaging apps."
In a statement, the committee said: "Anyone who receives an offer to commit an unlawful act should contact law enforcement. Criminal responsibility for these offences begins at the age of 14 and carries severe penalties, including lengthy prison sentences."
Details of the Offer
The schoolgirl said she had been offered £182 to carry out the arson attack. "They just messaged me. The job involved damaging property... at first, I didn't want to do it at all," she said. "I told them that if it was anything illegal, I certainly wouldn't take part."
She added that her handler "even gave me advice on how to carry it out as safely as possible so that I wouldn't get caught": "I hid the clothes I was wearing when the crime was committed… so I could wash them later, so my parents wouldn't notice."
Minors Convicted Under Terrorism Laws
The girl is among the youngest children jailed under Russia's terrorism laws. At least 158 minors were convicted of terrorism and sabotage-related offences in the first three years of the full-scale war, according to an analysis of Russian Supreme Court figures. Independent investigators have documented hundreds of teenage suspects as Russian secret services search for enemies of the state.
