Russian Handler Hired Teen to Mail Lethal Methadone to Six Ukrainian Soldiers

Ukrainian police arrested a 17-year-old girl on Friday after she allegedly mailed lethal doses of methadone to six soldiers in the Zhytomyr region.

The suspect, who has not been named, was taken into custody in Zhytomyr, a city located west of Kyiv. Investigators say she acted on direct instructions from a Russian security handler. The arrangement promised her a payment of at least 5,000 hryvnias, equivalent to approximately $111, for completing the task.

Police explained that the teenager contacted the soldiers via Telegram and sent them packages labeled as free drugs. The recipients were instructed to consume the contents on camera. They did not realize the capsules contained a fatal concentration of the opioid methadone. Two soldiers in the Zhytomyr region died from the poisoning before the scheme was uncovered.

Investigators identified four other recipients across the country and prevented their deaths. The suspect has been charged with aiding and abetting premeditated murder as part of a prior conspiracy. She also faces charges for shipping drugs and psychotropic substances for distribution. If a court finds her guilty on all counts, she could receive a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Ukrainian authorities stated that the operation was part of a wider Russian effort to kill personnel and destabilize the domestic situation. Police urged the public to avoid accepting medication, food, or drinks from strangers. This case adds to a pattern of accusations that both sides of the conflict have recruited minors for sabotage since the war began in 2022.

Ukrainian officials have opened thousands of investigations into alleged collaboration with Moscow. Previous poisoning incidents include the 2023 poisoning of the wife of Kyrylo Budanov, then head of military intelligence. That year, Paris prosecutors also investigated the poisoning of a Russian journalist known for her anti-war stance. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed in recent interviews that he has survived at least five or six assassination attempts since the invasion.