2 Russian-recruited minors detained for deadly bombing in Ukraine
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Ukrainian law enforcement detained two minors recruited by Russia who carried out a terrorist attack in Zhytomyr city earlier this week, killing one man and seriously injuring another, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Aug. 7.
The SBU regularly reports detentions of suspected Russian agents, exposing and preventing terrorist acts prepared by Russian security services against military and civilian targets.
As of April, some 22% of Ukrainians recruited by Russia to prepare sabotage acts or terrorist attacks in the country were minors.
A boy and girl, both aged 17, are accused of involvement in the detonation of an improvised explosive device in one of the districts in Zhytomyr on Aug. 5.
According to investigators, the two were seeking easy money and were recruited by Russia via Telegram channels. Following instructions from a Russian handler, they allegedly assembled the explosive device themselves.
"To maximize casualties, they filled the device with screws and equipped it with a mobile phone configured for remote detonation by Russian intelligence services," the SBU said.
The suspects planted the bomb at coordinates provided by the handler and concealed a phone camera at the scene, enabling Russia to monitor the location in real time, according to the SBU. Once the intended targets arrived, the device was remotely detonated.
If convicted, the minors could face life imprisonment.
