Ukrainian security forces have prevented a disturbing terror plot in which Russian operatives blackmailed a 14-year-old girl with intimate photos to carry out a suicide bombing at a police building.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained the teenager in Ternopil before she could detonate an improvised explosive device. According to investigators, Russian handlers planned for the explosion to kill both the girl and nearby civilians.
The teen fell victim to the scheme while searching for ways to earn money on the Telegram messaging app. Russian hackers gained remote access to her phone and obtained compromising photos, which they then used as leverage to force her cooperation by threatening to release them online.
After coercing the girl through blackmail, the Russian operatives provided instructions for constructing a homemade bomb and directed her to target a local police department.
The SBU cautioned that recruiting and then killing collaborators has become a common Russian tactic. In a similar incident this March, two teenage boys recruited via Telegram were blown up by their handlers - one died instantly while the other suffered critical injuries.
The 14-year-old girl now faces terrorism charges that could result in up to 10 years imprisonment. The case highlights Russia's alarming pattern of exploiting and manipulating Ukrainian minors for deadly attacks against civilian targets.