The Documentary Podcast Sabotage by smartphone
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Oct 15, 2025 In this gripping discussion, Vlad, a Ukrainian teenager awaiting trial, shares harrowing details about his recruitment via Telegram to commit sabotage for cryptocurrency. He reveals how financial pressures led him to engage with recruiters, escalating from minor tasks to dangerous missions. Vlad's account highlights the deadly consequences faced by teens manipulated into violence, including a near-fatal incident during a bomb planting. The conversation sheds light on the chilling patterns of online recruitment and the vulnerabilities exploited by these sinister networks.
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Foiled Live-Streamed Bomb Plot
- CCTV shows a teenager planting a bomb in a conscription van while live-streaming to handlers.
- Investigators say he was recruited on Telegram and travelled 500 miles from Zaporizhia to Rivne for the job.
Recruitment Via Quick-Reply Telegram Messages
- The BBC interviewed an 18-year-old called Vlad who says he replied to a recruiter on Telegram for quick money.
- He posted seeking remote work, got a reply within half an hour, and later spoke on the phone with a man called Roman.
Escalation Through Small Paid Tasks
- Tasks escalated from finding a grenade to setting a van on fire, with small payments then promises of larger sums.
- Vlad received about $100 in crypto for arson and was promised $1,500 if he agreed to a riskier third task.