The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it had prevented a series of planned attacks targeting schools in central and southern regions that involved minors who were allegedly recruited by Russian operatives.
The SBU and the National Police said two local school students were identified in the Kirovohrad and Odesa regions, where they were allegedly preparing attacks on their own schools.
According to the SBU’s Thursday press release, the minors were recruited through Telegram and TikTok channels used by Russian intelligence to target young people. One such channel, identified as “ETERSSA,” was described as part of a broader effort to systematically recruit Ukrainian minors.
Authorities said recruiters used psychological manipulation, including promises of achieving “justice,” protecting relatives, or punishing alleged wrongdoing, to draw the students into criminal activity.
In the Kirovohrad region, a 15-year-old student was allegedly instructed to assemble an improvised explosive device (IED) using commonly available materials. The plan, according to the SBU, involved detonating the device inside his school during a break between classes.
The agency said he was also instructed to bring a firearm and a knife to attack survivors after the explosion.
The SBU said it intervened before the attacks and documented the suspect’s communication with his Russian handler. During a search, authorities recovered an IED, components used to build it, a firearm, and digital evidence.
In a separate case in the Odesa region, another student was identified at the recruitment stage. Authorities said Russian operatives had planned to send him a package containing a firearm and a knife, allegedly intended for use in an attack on fellow students.
The agency said the minors were also encouraged to take their own lives afterward in what it described as Russia’s attempt to eliminate witnesses.
The 15-year-old suspect in the Kirovohrad region has been served a notice of suspicion – a legal step in Ukraine preceding formal charges – for plotting a terrorist act. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The SBU said the investigation is ongoing.