Russian teenager arrested for setting Su-34 bomber plane on fire, reportedly on orders from Ukraine

A district court in Chelyabinsk, a city in Russia, arrested a 16-year-old teenager from Dagestan, for attempted sabotage of a Russian Armed Forces’ facility, reports news outlet 74.ru.

According to the investigation, the teenager attempted to set a bomber plane on fire at the Shagol military airfield in Chelyabinsk. The outlet adds that the fire was quickly extinguished.

Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers detained the teenager on January 5. The FSB reported that the teenager was involved in an attempt to commit sabotage on orders from Ukrainian special services. During his detention, “means of communication and data carriers containing his photo reports and correspondence with Ukrainian sponsors” were seized from him, the FSB reported.

The FSB also said that during their search, the teenager was found to be involved in “arson attacks committed in November and December 2023 on communication facilities and railway infrastructure” in Dagestan.

On January 4, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said that a Su-34 bomber plane caught on fire at the Shagol military airfield in Chelyabinsk.