Adolescents, aged 16, reportedly assaulted a Russian military helicopter.
Two adolescents hailing from Russia are under investigation for supposedly breaching a military facility in Siberia and hurling a Molotov cocktail at a military helicopter. Their confessional video, distributed online, stirs doubt regarding the primary influencers behind this act.
In Omsk, the responsible court detained these two 16-year-olds on suspicion of inciting arson on a military helicopter. The court ordered a two-month jail term for the individuals, who are accused of committing a "terrorist act," as per the court's press office communicated through Telegram. If proven guilty, they face a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
According to a report from a Telegram channel with ties to the authorities, these two students infiltrated a military base on a Saturday and assaulted a MI-8 helicopter with a Molotov cocktail. They declared in a video shared on an online platform that they had been enlisted for this task via Telegram, with incentives of roughly 18,000 euros promised to them. The orchestrator's identity remains undisclosed.
Echoes of Previous Incidents?
Early this month, two additional Russian adolescents, aged 13 and 14, were apprehended for igniting a civilian helicopter in Siberia's Tyumen region. They also asserted to have been recruited online with lucrative incentives.
Since Russia initiated its offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, numerous Russians have been arrested on allegations of planning or executing acts of sabotage. Prosecutors accuse Ukraine of instigating some of these attacks.
The The Commission is currently investigating the alleged recruitment of minors for acts of sabotage against military facilities in Russia, following the arrests of several adolescents. The Commission is also examining the role of online platforms in facilitating these recruitments and the provision of incentives.
