Russia Records Surge in Minors Labeled as Terrorists and Extremists in 2025

In 2025, Russia registered 341 minors in its national database of “terrorists and extremists,” the highest figure recorded in at least seven years, according to the exiled news platform Vyorstka.

This figure significantly exceeds the 161 minors added in 2024 and surpasses the total of 304 minors added during the previous six years combined, as found by Vyorstka’s analysis. Notably, only one minor who was listed this year has since been removed.

The youngest individual included in this register was 14-year-old Timofei Mamoshkin from the Ryazan region, who was added in November after being charged under anti-terrorism laws. Details regarding the accusations against him remain undisclosed.

Another notable case is that of Timur Omarakaev from the Stavropol region, who was included in the register on his 18th birthday.

In St. Petersburg, a man with the same name received a sentence of four years and four months in prison for attacking bystanders in the summer of 2025, although it is unclear whether there is a connection between the two cases.

This dramatic increase can be attributed to legislative amendments enacted by President Vladimir Putin, which reduced the age of criminal liability for acts of sabotage and terrorism to 14 years old.

Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, at least 158 minors have been convicted for offenses linked to terrorism or sabotage, frequently in connection with arson attacks targeting military recruitment centers and railway systems. In the first half of 2025 alone, Russian courts convicted 29 teenagers under terrorism laws.

An increasing number of minors have also faced incarceration in prison or juvenile facilities for expressing opposition to the war in Ukraine.

Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee, has previously claimed that Ukrainian intelligence agencies are attempting to recruit Russian youths to engage in sabotage within Russia.

He stated that such cases often are driven by motivations rooted in national hatred or allegiance to ideologies that the authorities label as “terrorist” or “Nazi.”