Zhytomyr Case: Teen Detained for Mailing Methadone to Six Soldiers
Police say a 17-year-old suspect sent lethal doses to troops via Telegram, resulting in two deaths and four other identified victims.
By Priya Sharma ·
Two Ukrainian soldiers are dead after receiving mailed packages containing lethal doses of methadone, and police have detained a 17-year-old girl in Zhytomyr for her role in the scheme. The suspect, who was not named in the announcement, was arrested on Friday in the city west of Kyiv.
Police state that the teenager acted on instructions from a Russian handler. She was promised at least 5,000 hryvnias, approximately $111, for her efforts. The suspect contacted soldiers through the messaging app Telegram and sent them parcels labeled as free drugs.
According to the police statement, the recipients were instructed to take the medication on camera. They were unaware that the capsules contained a lethal amount of methadone. Two soldiers in the Zhytomyr region died from the poisoning.
Investigators have identified four other people who received the packages. Authorities say this identification process prevented four additional murders across the country. The suspect now faces charges of aiding and abetting premeditated murder as part of a prior conspiracy. She is also suspected of shipping drugs and psychotropic substances for distribution. If found guilty, she could face up to 15 years in prison.
Police warn that Russian forces aim to kill Ukrainian personnel and destabilize the situation. They have urged the public to avoid accepting medication, food, or drinks from people they do not know well. Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of recruiting minors for sabotage acts throughout the war that began in 2022.
Ukrainian authorities have opened thousands of investigations into collaboration with the enemy. Previous poisoning allegations include the 2023 case involving the wife of Kyrylo Budanov, then head of military intelligence. In the same year, Paris prosecutors opened an investigation into the poisoning of a Russian journalist. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed in an interview with The Sun that he has survived at least five or six assassination attempts since the invasion began.
Source: CBS News
