Zhytomyr Teen Held After Mailing Lethal Methadone to Soldiers

Two Ukrainian soldiers died after ingesting mailed methadone capsules sent by a 17-year-old girl in Zhytomyr. Ukrainian police announced the detention on Friday, marking the latest incident in a series of suspected sabotage attempts during the ongoing war.

The suspect, whose name was not released, was arrested in the city west of Kyiv. Investigators say she acted on instructions from a Russian handler. Police stated she was promised a minimum of 5,000 hryvnias, approximately $111, for completing the task.

According to a police statement, the teenager contacted soldiers through the messaging app Telegram. She packaged the lethal drug and labeled the parcels as free medication. The statement noted that the soldiers were told to ingest the capsules on camera for verification.

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 four other recipients of the packages, a move they said prevented four additional murders across the country.

The young woman faces charges of aiding and abetting premeditated murder as part of a conspiracy. She is also suspected of shipping psychotropic substances for distribution. If found guilty, she could face up to 15 years in prison.

Police warned that Russian security services aim to kill Ukrainian personnel and destabilize the domestic situation. They urged the public to avoid accepting food, drinks, or medication from strangers. Ukrainian authorities have opened thousands of investigations into collaboration with the enemy since the war began in 2022.

Zelenskyy claimed in an interview with The Sun that he has survived at least five or six assassination attempts since the invasion. Previous poisoning allegations include the 2023 case involving the wife of military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov.