Russian Investigative Committee Chairman: Western Intelligence Involves Children in Terrorist Activities

Western intelligence services, together with Kiev, are turning Russian children into a blind instrument of crime, involving them in terrorist activities, Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, stated at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum.

He also reported that the department had proposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility but did not find support.

Western intelligence services, together with Kiev, are turning Russian children "into a blind instrument of crime," involving them "in sabotage and terrorist activities."

This is an "extremely dangerous challenge"; it is necessary not just to defend but to move into a decisive information offensive, building a powerful ideological shield.

Ukrainian special services are doing everything to destabilize Russian society, including through the recruitment of minors: "The systematic work of Western intelligence services and their Ukrainian satellites is aimed at destroying our society from within, at turning our children into blind instruments of crime."

"Recruiters do not appear with a poster saying: 'Go commit a sabotage.' They act more subtly, gaining trust."

Gaming platforms have become an ideal environment for finding victims for crimes: "The key channels for recruiting such irresponsible minors looking to earn easy money are, as a rule, closed online platforms, including specialized chats, messengers, and social networks."

Recruiters operating on behalf of Ukrainian special services try to create in the minors they recruit an illusion of impunity and the significance of their actions: "The key point: the recruiter's task is to remove moral responsibility from the teenager. To present the arson of a military enlistment office or sabotage on the railway as an act of justice, a fight against the system, participation in a cool real-life game. It is important for them to create an illusion of impunity and the significance of the teenagers' actions."

In 2026, the Investigative Committee initiated 8 criminal cases concerning attacks by teenagers on educational institutions.

The number of teenagers who committed crimes of a terrorist nature increased almost 3 times in 2025.

In Russia in 2025, 6 attacks on educational institutions were recorded, 18 cases of preparation for them, and 31 cases of participation in the activities of the "Columbine" movement (recognized as terrorist and banned in the Russian Federation).

Cases of bullying and abuse of teenagers against each other to gain popularity on the internet have become more frequent: "In recent years, cases of bullying among peers have become more frequent, [which] becomes a reason to gain short-term popularity, as they say, to 'catch hype' by posting videos with abuse and humiliation on the internet."

When such videos are identified online, "there is particularly no one to look for" since the author immediately becomes known.

The Investigative Committee proposed "lowering the age of criminal responsibility for teenagers to 12 years but did not find support."

Among the priority measures is strengthening state control over the work of private security companies ensuring school safety: "It is necessary to introduce uniform security standards, including equipping educational institutions with reliable means of protection against attacks."

Often, the administration of an educational institution knows about cases of bullying but turns a blind eye to them. In such situations, criminal cases of negligence are initiated. "We have repeatedly proposed and continue to insist that additional measures should be taken to increase the staff and funding of psychological services in educational institutions. After all, qualified specialists can provide timely psychological and pedagogical assistance to teenagers."

Participants in the special military operation should be appointed as deputy headmasters of schools for educational work: "We believe that participants in the special military operation should be more widely involved as deputy headmasters for educational work. Firstly, these are men. Because, as a rule, headmasters are women. Secondly, these are courageous people who have proven themselves in the difficult circumstances of the special operation."

Young people and schoolchildren will respect and listen to them, "but so far this process is moving very, very slowly."

The Investigative Committee proposed replacing "Important Conversations" in schools with lessons of courage involving participants in the special military operation.