In a shocking act of sabotage, two Russian teenagers, aged 13 and 14, have been arrested for burning down a Mi-8T military helicopter at an airport.

The boys, Timur and Sasha, reportedly used flammable liquid and cigarettes to ignite the helicopter, resulting in a fiery explosion that caused severe damage, leaving the aircraft almost completely destroyed.

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According to reports by Russian media outlet BAZA, which has close ties to law enforcement, the teenagers claimed they were promised around £42,000 through the Telegram messaging app in exchange for carrying out the attack.

While the source of the offer remains unknown, one theory suggests the boys may have been motivated by the hope that the act could somehow help bring home the father of one of the teenagers, who had been conscripted to fight in the war in Ukraine.

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The destruction of the £1 million helicopter led to their immediate arrest, as the boys suffered significant facial and hand burns during the incident. After fleeing the scene, they sought medical assistance, which ultimately revealed their involvement in the attack. Both teenagers are now under armed guard while receiving treatment in a local hospital.

Authorities revealed that this was not the first act of sabotage carried out by the boys. Earlier, they confessed to being paid £250 to destroy a mobile phone mast, which they successfully completed before targeting the helicopter. During their interrogation, they admitted to receiving 30,000 rubles for setting fire to the cell tower and were promised 5 million rubles for the helicopter attack.

The Mi-8T helicopter, used for military purposes, was reportedly left “almost completely wrecked,” with only the tail remaining intact following the explosion.