Lethal methadone in postal packages: 17-year-old girl faces up to 15 years in prison

Police in Zhytomyr region have detained a 17-year-old girl suspected of helping Russia’s FSB organize the poisoning of Ukrainian servicemen. According to investigators, she packaged narcotics and sent them by post, while servicemen were lured through Telegram with offers to receive drugs for free. Two servicemen died, while four other people, according to law enforcement, were saved. This was reported on October 23, 2026, by Maksym Tsutskiridze, Acting Head of the National Police of Ukraine.

According to law enforcement, the girl acted on instructions from a Russian handler. She packaged narcotics and then sent them in postal parcels, using false sender details. She was promised at least 5,000 hryvnias for carrying out these tasks.

The scheme’s organizers found Ukrainian servicemen through Telegram. They offered them free drugs and, once the parcel arrived, asked them to consume the contents on camera. Investigators say the recipients did not know the capsules contained a lethal dose of methadone. As a result of the poisoning, two servicemen in Zhytomyr region died. While investigating these deaths, police identified other people who had received similar parcels. According to the National Police, this helped prevent another four murders in Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Chernivtsi and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.

The girl was charged with abetting the premeditated murder of two people, committed by prior agreement, as well as with sending narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for the purpose of sale. She faces up to 15 years in prison on these charges. Law enforcement is also investigating whether the minor may have been involved in other crimes.

The National Police also drew attention to the circumstances surrounding the deaths and rescue of the servicemen. According to Maksym Tsutskiridze, the two who died had left their military units without authorization, while the servicemen who were saved had continued to serve. At the same time, he stressed, this distinction does not matter to the Russian intelligence service: a person becomes a target precisely because they are a Ukrainian serviceman.

In response to the scheme being uncovered, Maksym Tsutskiridze, Acting Head of the National Police of Ukraine, issued a warning to servicemen and their families about possible provocations disguised as offers of help, gifts or new acquaintances.

“I am addressing servicemen and their loved ones. Someone who offers help, sends gifts or persistently seeks a personal meeting may be carrying out the enemy’s orders. Be cautious when meeting new people. Do not accept medicines or other drugs, or food or drinks of dubious origin, from people you barely know. If someone pressures or threatens you to consume something, save the correspondence and report it to the police by calling 102. Get in touch if this happens to a fellow serviceman, too: the information could help prevent a murder in time.”

Law enforcement emphasizes that suspicious offers in messaging apps, parcels from unknown senders and persistent attempts to persuade someone to consume unknown substances can pose a serious danger. If you are pressured or threatened, it is important to save the correspondence and notify the police.

Previously, we reported:

• Russia recruits Ukrainian girls through Telegram to murder servicemen, says Vyhivskyi
• Did she poison a serviceman on Telegram’s orders? A 17-year-old girl detained in Zhytomyr region
• A “gift” from a stranger proved fatal: 19-year-old Russian agent suspected of murdering a marine
• Two minors recruited by Russia poisoned a National Guard serviceman for $5,000
• 14-year-old girl to stand trial in Rivne for contract killing of a serviceman