Two teenagers in western Siberia’s Omsk region were arrested and charged with terrorism for setting fire to a helicopter, the regional court’s press service announced Tuesday.
Baza, a Telegram news channel with reported links to Russia’s security services, published a video Monday in which one of the teenagers admits to breaking into the helipad and igniting the helicopter.
Both teens claim they were offered $20,000 by an unknown individual who contacted them on Telegram and provided instructions. However, the messages were allegedly deleted, and the boys never received the promised payment.
The teens, both 16, face terrorism charges and have been placed in administrative detention for two months.
The helicopter arson in Omsk marks the second such incident in September. Earlier this month, Baza reported that a Utair Airline helicopter was set on fire at Noyabrsk airport in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous district.
In that case, two teenagers, aged 13 and 14, were also detained after allegedly being offered $50,000.