23 military personnel died from poisoning: minors were recruited to commit the crimes
The police are investigating 21 cases, and four are already before the court
According to law enforcement, 23 Ukrainian service members have died from poisonings carried out on orders from Russian intelligence services. The National Police of Ukraine is investigating 21 criminal cases involving such crimes. Russian handlers recruited minors, including teenage girls, to carry them out. According to Slidstvo.Info.
The National Police’s Main Investigative Department provided this information in response to a request from Slidstvo.Info. Police clarified that during 2026, pretrial investigations were opened in 20 cases related to the poisoning of the service members mentioned above. According to investigators, methadone was used to poison 13 service members.
Among those exposed in these cases were seven underage girls. The youngest was 14 years old at the time of the crime. Colonel Andrii Bondarenko of the National Police spoke about a case involving a teenager of that age from Rivne.
According to investigators, a handler asked the girl to put on makeup and send a selfie. He used her photos to message a service member. The girl later met the man while staying in a video call with the handler.
When the service member became unwell, the minor did not call an ambulance. Instead, according to the information presented by investigators, she began suffocating him with a pillow and a phone charging cable. Bondarenko noted that an entire group of people was involved in organizing such crimes.
Following the pretrial investigations, prosecutors approved indictments and submitted materials from four criminal cases to court. Hearings are ongoing. Another case was transferred to a different law enforcement agency with jurisdiction. Investigative actions and forensic examinations are continuing in the remaining cases.
The National Police explain that Russian intelligence services recruit minors through messaging apps, including Telegram, dating websites, and other social networks. Law enforcement officers and military personnel are carrying out preventive work to help prevent such crimes.
The public is urged not to communicate with strangers in Telegram chats, dating groups, or specialized websites such as Badoo. Police warn that criminals may use even offers of romantic dates with flowers and champagne as part of their recruitment efforts.
We have previously reported:
- Lethal methadone in postal packages: 17-year-old girl faces up to 15 years in prison
- Two minors recruited by Russia poisoned a National Guard soldier for $5,000
- A “gift” from a stranger proved fatal: 19-year-old Russian agent suspected of killing a marine
- Russia recruits Ukrainian girls through Telegram to kill service members, says Vyhivskyi
- Did she poison a service member on orders received via Telegram? 17-year-old girl detained in Zhytomyr region
