Key facts
- A 17-year-old girl was arrested in Ukraine on suspicion of poisoning a soldier.
- Two Ukrainian soldiers are reported to have died as a result of the poisoning.
- The girl allegedly received methadone from a Russian intelligence operative.
- The incident occurred in Zhytomyr Oblast.
- A similar case involving a 26-year-old woman occurred in Uzhhorod in April.
Ukrainian police announced on Friday the arrest of a 17-year-old girl suspected of poisoning Ukrainian soldiers with drugs supplied by Russian intelligence services, an act that allegedly resulted in the deaths of two soldiers. The girl, who was not named, is accused of contacting a Russian operative via Telegram and receiving methadone, an opioid analgesic, which she then administered to a 27-year-old soldier in Zhytomyr Oblast. The soldier was found dead the following day, with a preliminary autopsy citing drug intoxication as the cause of death. This incident follows a similar case in April where a 26-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly poisoning a soldier under Russian instructions.