«It all starts with fun: games, money»: Kim tells how Russia recruits teenagers for terrorist attacks in Mykolaiv

The aftermath of the 19 February 2025 terrorist attack in Mykolaiv, photo: Mykolaiv regional police

The head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitalii Kim, said that Russian special services use psychological techniques on Ukrainian teenagers to involve them in terrorist attacks.

He said this on the air of the telethon «Yedyni Novyny», according to NikVesti.

«There is definitely a threat. The question is that they (the Russian special services, — note) have a success rate: how many agreed, how many refused. This is all the big money that Russia invests in terrorism to recruit our children. They are hitting the most vulnerable segments of our population — children aged 15-19. It all starts like with drugs: everything is good and fun, some games, tasks, small money, and then more difficult tasks. FSS officers work with them, they are psychologists and understand what they are doing. That's why it's a threat,» said Vitalii Kim.

He also added that the Russian special services promise to pay Ukrainian teenagers up to $2,500 for their work.

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«The children do not receive money. They are promised $2-2,500 for performing this kind of task. But they also try to blow them up to cover up the traces and avoid paying. Because the FSS officers will keep the money and say they paid,» said Vitalii Kim.

The head of the RMA urged young people not to fall for such offers.

«I appeal to parents and young people that this will not be ignored by law enforcement. These are primarily the broken lives of our people, our children. There are actually adequate children there, they are just confused, but the law is the law. There is nothing you can do about it later. Therefore, the only way to do this if you are already in this mess is to take money, tell the SSU and do nothing. I call for such a model,» he added.

As a reminder, on 11 March, law enforcement officers detained a 19-year-old student suspected of preparing a terrorist attack near the National Police building in Mykolaiv.

Vitalii Kim, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, commented on the detention of the girl. He wrote that the Russians wanted to blow up the girl herself along with the explosives. Later, the court placed the girl under arrest.

Prior to that, law enforcement officers detained four suspects in the preparation of a terrorist attack in Mykolaiv on 14 February. They were four teenagers from Poltava region, aged 14 to 17. According to law enforcement, they were recruited by Russia's special services and promised quick money.

On 14 February, an explosion occurred near a cafe in Mykolaiv. As a result of the incident , a woman and three soldiers were killed on the spot, and seven other people were injured with varying degrees of severity. Law enforcement officials say the woman brought the explosives herself. The Central District Court of Mykolaiv took the suspects into custody without the right to bail.