Teenagers Hired Online, Jailed for Arson

According to the independent outlet Mediazona, nearly every week Russian authorities report detaining teenagers for setting fires along the country’s railway infrastructure. These incidents are increasingly prosecuted as terrorism or sabotage, with officials often citing “political hatred” as the motive. But in many cases, it appears the real motivation is money.

Such jobs — paid assignments found on anonymous forums — are part of a growing underground market where young people are hired for tasks ranging from vandalism to physical threats. Despite the severity of the charges they face, their stories rarely reach the public due to the secrecy surrounding juvenile court proceedings. The public only hears about the arrests and the harsh sentences that follow.

In one case, in November 2023, authorities raided the home of 18-year-old Yaroslav Kuligin in Domodedovo, just outside Moscow. Kuligin and several teenage friends were beaten, pinned to the floor, and forced to give up their phone passwords, according to court testimony. One teen, 17-year-old Yevgeny Nazarenko, later said he was beaten with a military helmet.

By morning, five teens were released, but Kuligin, Nazarenko, and 16-year-old Nikita Alekseyenko remained in custody, facing charges of sabotaging railway infrastructure. All three confessed — but later claimed they did so under torture, which included electric shocks.

According to Mediazona, Kuligin reportedly began looking for side work in September 2023 and posted a message on an anonymous forum seeking employment for himself and two friends. He was soon contacted by a user known as “Novgorodian Pirate,” who offered illegal assignments for “sportiki” (young athletic men) looking for easy money for doing tasks such as breaking windows, threatening individuals, or setting fires.

The practice of hiring “sportiki” emerged in the 2010s with the rise of dark web forums. Cryptocurrency became the preferred method of anonymous payment. After the start of Russia’s War on Ukraine, intelligence services — Russian or Ukrainian — began exploiting these networks, commissioning acts of sabotage later thought to be attacks ordered by Kyiv.

One case in April 2025 saw a military court sentence four men and one woman to up to 18 years for setting fire to a helicopter and a relay protection cabinet near Moscow. One defendant said he had been recruited through a Telegram group called “Lyokhie Dengi” (“Easy Money”) and was promised 3 million rubles (about $38,000) for destroying the helicopter.

Kuligin’s first assignment came on October 9, 2023: He was instructed to set fire to a commuter train and record the footage, including a specific hand signal. The next day, he sent a video showing a burning train in Lobnya, north of Moscow. He was paid approximately R100,000 ($1,300).

On October 21, Kuligin and Nazarenko completed a second job, burning another train in Domodedovo, earning another R100,000. A third attempted arson by Kuligin was aborted after he was spotted by a guard. A few days later, Nazarenko returned to Domodedovo with Alekseyenko, who said he barely knew Nazarenko at the time. When offered R5,000 ($65) to help burn a relay protection cabinet — on his mother’s birthday — Alekseyenko agreed, saying he had no money for a gift.

That same day, November 22, security forces arrested the teens. By morning, they had all confessed. Their statements, however, were laced with language uncharacteristic of minors, such as references to undermining Russia’s defense and economic security, suggesting, defense lawyers argue, that the confessions were coerced.

The teens claim they were simply trying to earn money. Kuligin reportedly wanted to move out of his mother’s home, but couldn’t afford rent. Their lawyer, Igor Volchkov, said many accused in these cases come from broken, impoverished homes. “I haven’t seen a single case where the parents weren’t divorced,” he said.

Authorities have opened a separate case against the alleged coordinator, “Novgorodian Pirate.” According to an FSB document, he is “linked to Ukrainian intelligence services,” though the evidence remains vague. His real identity and whereabouts are unknown, and defense attorneys have received no further details.

The legal team said they suspect that Kuligin and his friends were tracked using taxi records showing late-night trips to remote areas. Though investigators gathered extensive evidence, some peers said the group did not hide their activities. 

Volchkov argues Kuligin may have been set up. In one message, the so-called “pirate” instructed him to target the “oldest and most worn-out” train and gave precise coordinates. The second train they burned had been decommissioned for six months and was scheduled for repairs. It was moved into the open just days before Kuligin received the arson order — a suspicious coincidence, the lawyer claimed.