On May 16, 2025, Siberian transport police officers detained two teenagers in Novosibirsk suspected of attempting to set fire to a railway station on orders from an unknown supervisor. According to the press service of the Eastern Interregional Investigative Department for Transport of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the young people acted on instructions received via the Telegram messenger, where they were promised a monetary reward for committing a terrorist attack. The fact that the funds were transferred remains in question, since the investigation has not yet established whether the teenagers received payment.

According to the investigation, the incident occurred at one of the stations of the West Siberian Railway on the night of May 15. The teenagers, one of whom was 16 and the other 17 years old, attempted to set fire to a relay cabinet controlling the railway signaling system using a prepared flammable mixture. Their actions were recorded by CCTV cameras, and during searches, a video was found in the phones of the detainees confirming the preparation for the arson, as well as correspondence with the curator. Investigators assume that the organizer of the crime could have been a representative of the Ukrainian special services, since similar recruitment schemes have previously been recorded in other regions of Russia.

A criminal case has been opened against the teenagers under Part 3 of Article 30 and paragraph "a" of Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Attempt to commit a terrorist act"), which provides for a punishment of up to 20 years in prison. The detainees are in custody, the court will choose a preventive measure in the coming days. Operational support for the investigation is being provided by FSB and transport police officers. The identity of the curator is being established, and digital traces in messengers are being analyzed.

Cases of teenagers being involved in terrorist activities in Russia have become more frequent. Since the beginning of 2024, the FSB has stopped more than 15 such incidents in regions, including Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast and Kuzbass.