Teen Detained for Helping FSB Poison Ukrainian Soldiers

Ukrainian law enforcement has detained a 17-year-old girl who helped Russia's FSB poison Ukrainian soldiers; two people are known to have died, acting National Police chief Maksym Tsutskiridze said, according to the police website.

According to investigators, on the instructions of a Russian handler the girl packed drugs and mailed them using fictitious sender details. She was promised at least 5,000 hryvnias for it. The organisers themselves contacted soldiers via Telegram and offered free drugs. Police say the capsules contained a lethal dose of methadone. Two soldiers in the Zhytomyr region died of poisoning.

"While investigating these murders, police identified other recipients of parcels. This made it possible to prevent four more killings, in the Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk regions," the police said.

Suspicion and possible sentence

The girl was served a notice of suspicion of aiding the premeditated murder of two people by prior conspiracy and of sending narcotic and psychotropic substances for sale. She faces up to 15 years in prison and is also being checked for involvement in other crimes.

Police added that the two dead had left their military units without permission, and that the soldiers who were saved continued to serve. "For the FSB this difference does not matter. A person is chosen as a target precisely because they are a Ukrainian soldier," the National Police said.

Police advice

Police urge soldiers and their families to be careful with new acquaintances and not to take medicines or consume other substances, food or drinks of doubtful origin from people they barely know. "If you are pressured or threatened to take something, save the correspondence and report to police at 102. Report also when such a situation concerns a fellow soldier: this information may help prevent a killing in time," the National Police said.

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