Russia’s espionage strategy in Europe has taken a radical turn—recruiting teenagers. The recent case of 17-year-old Canadian Laken Pavan, arrested in Warsaw in May 2024, reveals a covert Russian campaign to exploit vulnerable youth for intelligence work. After weeks in occupied Donetsk, Pavan confessed to Polish police that he had been enlisted by Russia’s FSB and paid in cryptocurrency to gather intel in Europe.

According to over 1,400 pages of court documents reviewed by Reuters, Pavan had been promised Russian citizenship and an apartment in exchange for spying. His handler, a man known only as “Slon,” directed him via Telegram, even setting up fake social media accounts and instructing Pavan to document military movements across Europe.

Crypto Trail Points to $600 Million Network

Blockchain forensics by Global Ledger and Recoveris traced the bitcoin transfers made to Pavan’s wallet. The payments originated from a large cryptocurrency wallet created in June 2022, four months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This wallet has since processed over $600 million and was linked to Garantex, a crypto exchange sanctioned by the EU and U.S. for ties to sanctioned Russian banks.

These transactions followed laundering patterns involving fund splitting and routing through intermediary wallets—hallmarks of intelligence agency tactics, according to analysts.

Moscow Turns to Untrained Spies After Diplomatic Expulsions

The mass expulsion of Russian operatives across Europe post-2022 left gaps in Moscow’s intelligence networks. In response, Russian services turned to teens and novices. A NATO official cited by Reuters noted that the aim is to “undercut support for Ukraine politically and practically.” Since the invasion, at least 12 minors across Europe have been linked to Russia-backed sabotage or spying.

Pavan was sentenced to 20 months in a Polish prison but cooperated with authorities, receiving a lighter penalty. His family, devastated by the ordeal, has urged Canadian officials to repatriate him to serve his sentence at home.

Propaganda, Coercion, and Teenage Targets

Pavan's story is part of a broader trend in Russia's hybrid warfare strategy—mixing disinformation, psychological pressure, and financial incentives. Teenagers are targeted due to their vulnerability, low cost, and susceptibility to manipulation through online propaganda channels. Pavan himself became increasingly vocal in pro-Russian forums before being recruited.

While Russia denies these allegations, calling them “empty,” Western intelligence agencies are sounding alarms. As one Estonian cyber expert warned, “wallets and patterns are clues, but attribution remains complex.”