Teen Detained in Zhytomyr for Mailing Fatal Methadone to Troops

Ukrainian police detained a 17-year-old girl in Zhytomyr on Friday for her role in a scheme to poison military personnel.

The suspect, who has not been named, was arrested in the city west of Kyiv. Authorities said she operated on orders from a Russian handler. She was promised at least 5,000 hryvnias, roughly $111, for completing the task.

Police explained that the teen contacted soldiers via Telegram and sent them parcels labeled as free drugs. The recipients were told to take the medication on camera. They did not know the capsules contained a lethal dose of methadone.

Two soldiers died from the poisoning in the Zhytomyr region. Investigators identified other recipients of the packages, an action that police said prevented four additional murders across the country.

The girl is charged with aiding and abetting the premeditated murder of two individuals through a prior conspiracy. She also faces charges for shipping drugs and psychotropic substances for distribution. If convicted, she could face up to 15 years in prison.

Police stated that Russia aims to kill citizens and destabilize the country. They advised the public to avoid accepting food, drinks, or medication from people they do not know well. Ukraine and Russia have both accused each other of recruiting minors for sabotage acts since the war began in 2022. Ukrainian authorities have opened thousands of investigations into alleged collaboration with Moscow.

Previous poisoning incidents have occurred during the conflict. In 2023, Ukraine accused Russia of poisoning the wife of Kyrylo Budanov, then head of military intelligence and now a presidential adviser. Several GUR personnel were also diagnosed with the same substance. That same year, Paris prosecutors investigated the poisoning of a Russian journalist. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Sun he has survived at least five or six assassination attempts since the invasion.