UKRAINE: In its hybrid war, Russia manipulates minors in Odesa to commit criminal offenses
“Do not burn the car – there will be problems”: how Russian special services recruit teenagers in Odesa
By Oleksandra Ponomarenko and Natalia Korshak
Suspilne Media (11.04.2025) – 25 teenagers suspected of criminal offenses are currently held in the Odesa detention center. 14 of them are held under articles related to national security. Journalists from Public Odesa visited the detention center to learn more about the conditions of stay of juvenile prisoners, as well as to hear the personal stories of those who were recruited by representatives of Russian special services.
According to the deputy head of the pre-trial detention center for social and educational work, Oleh Panichenko, the situation with the number of minors in the detention center changed during 2024. If at the beginning of the year only two teenagers were detained for property crimes, by the end of the year there were already 25 of them, among which 14 are suspected of committing offenses against the foundations of national and public security.
Teen recruitment mechanism via Telegram
Some of the minors who are currently in pre-trial detention for crimes against the foundations of national security say that the first contact with potential customers of the offenses took place through a job advertisement in Telegram channels. In some cases, recruitment was accompanied by psychological pressure, in particular threats against relatives.
“I was looking for a part-time job in the telegram channel. I wrote that I was looking for a job, 16 years old. The curator, called himself Sasha, came to me in about a day or two. He said there was a job like this: $1,700 per car. I agreed. But then I changed my mind and refused. After that, he hacked my Telegram account and began to threaten me: “I have all your contacts, mom, dad, younger brothers and sisters, if you don’t do this and that, there will be problems.” I had to do it,” Svetlana shared her story.
After the arson, the girl was detained. She has been in custody in the detention center for two months and is awaiting a court decision.
Danylo and his friend, looking for ways to make money quickly, received an offer that seemed easy to them. For $1,000 a day, they were offered to burn cars, in particular, of TCC employees. Together with a friend, they purchased the necessary materials and set fire to two cars.
“With a friend, we went to buy material, found the car together, and two weeks later we took it on fire. Then we walked for another week and a half, decided to set fire to another car and that’s it. We received the money, then three or four days later we were already arrested. I’ve been here for eight months and now, while the trials have begun, the main ones,” Danylo said.
How to work with minors in SIZO
The Department of Execution of Criminal Punishments emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach to working with minors who are in detention centers. According to the representative of the institution, Vadym Yagodkin, the goal of the work is not only to ensure the legal process, but also to support teenagers in social and educational terms. At the same time, the official draws attention to external risks and the role of parental control.
“We want to show that children are exposed to the fake work offered by the aggressor state. And we want to emphasize that the participation of parents in this process is very important, because parents should control their children and understand what they are doing,” Vadym Yagodkin emphasized.
In the detention center, teenagers fully study, participate in sports activities, have sessions with psychologists and have the opportunity to meet with parents or lawyers. According to Marat Abdullayev, the head of the Next charity foundation, young people can participate in volunteer initiatives on the basis of the organization, which allows them to directly interact with their peers.
“On the basis of our organization, they can be involved as volunteers. But then, according to the principle of equal equality, they can communicate with other young people, convey to them the fact that prison is not romance, as can be seen from some films,” commented Marat Abdullayev.
Why minors are recruited
“One of the reasons why children are recruited is because they do not always understand the consequences of their actions and do not critically assess the risks. This is what the enemy takes advantage of, involving minors in criminal activities. In any case, the best option is to contact law enforcement agencies, the Security Service of Ukraine has a permanent, official chatbot. This will make it possible to avoid or mitigate punishment, even after a crime,” Anna Shevchuk said.
“I made a big mistake in my life, I broke a lot of things. If I advise something to my peers, I would say that it is better to stay at home, study, work at a normal job, because it ends badly later,” the guy shared.
Co-author: Anastasia Chornomorets
See more pictures HERE