Zhytomyr Detainment: Teen Accused of Mailing Poisoned Capsules to Troops

Police in Zhytomyr detained a 17-year-old girl on Friday who they say worked for Russian security services to poison Ukrainian soldiers. The suspect, whose name has not been released, was arrested in the city west of Kyiv. Authorities state she followed specific instructions from a Russian handler and was promised at least 5,000 hryvnias, roughly $111, for completing the task.

The investigation revealed that the teenager contacted service members through the messaging app Telegram. She packaged medications and mailed them to the recipients, labeling the contents as free drugs. Police said the soldiers were instructed to consume the capsules while recording themselves on camera. The recipients did not know the capsules contained a lethal dose of methadone.

Two soldiers in the Zhytomyr region died from the poisoning. Investigators identified other individuals who had received similar packages, an action they say prevented four additional murders across the country. The suspect has been formally charged with aiding and abetting the premeditated murder of two people as part of a prior conspiracy. She also faces charges for shipping drugs and psychotropic substances for distribution.

If found guilty, the 17-year-old faces a prison sentence of up to 15 years. In a statement released by police, officials warned that Russia aims to kill Ukrainian citizens and destabilize the internal situation. They urged the public to avoid accepting medication, food, or drinks from people they do not know well if the origin is unclear.

This case adds to a pattern of mutual accusations between Ukraine and Russia regarding the recruitment of minors for sabotage acts since the war began in 2022. Ukrainian authorities have opened thousands of investigations into collaboration with the enemy and regularly arrest individuals accused of working for Moscow. The use of minors in these operations has become a recurring feature of the conflict.

Poisoning incidents have drawn attention previously. In 2023, Ukraine accused Russia of poisoning the wife of Kyrylo Budanov, then head of military intelligence and now a presidential adviser. Several personnel from the GUR intelligence service were also diagnosed with the same poisoning. That same year, Paris prosecutors opened an investigation into the poisoning of a Russian journalist who had become known for displaying an anti-war slogan on state television.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the frequency of these threats in an interview with The Sun. He claimed to have survived no fewer than five or six assassination attempts since Russia invaded Ukraine. The current detention in Zhytomyr represents the latest formal charge in a series of cases linking domestic Ukrainian suspects to Russian operational goals.