The suspect and the deceased soldier [Ukrainian police/Yonhap]
The suspect and the deceased soldier [Ukrainian police/Yonhap]

Ukrainian investigators have arrested a teenage girl on charges of poisoning a soldier after she was allegedly recruited by Russia, authorities said. Officials believe Russia is using social media and messaging apps to recruit minors for various covert operations.

According to local outlet Liganet and other media, Ukrainian police confirmed that a 17-year-old woman drank alcohol with a 27-year-old soldier at an apartment in Zhytomyr Oblast on June 3 before leaving. The soldier was found dead the following day, and a preliminary examination determined the cause of death to be drug poisoning.

Investigators believe the suspect contacted a person believed to be a Russian intelligence operative via Telegram in late May, after which she received a package containing methadone, a narcotic painkiller.

Methadone is a synthetic drug used to treat heroin addiction, but it can prove fatal when taken in excessive doses or combined with other opioids.

The suspect, who faces murder charges, had previously been investigated for drug-related offenses and crimes against public safety.

In April, a 26-year-old woman was arrested in Uzhhorod, near the Hungarian border, on charges of poisoning a soldier at Russia's behest.

The suspect in that case claimed the soldier had died from drinking too much, but investigators concluded she had agreed to receive $3,000 from Russian intelligence in exchange for extracting information from the soldier's phone and had also destroyed evidence.

Western officials believe Russia is recruiting minors through social media and gaming platforms, using them as so-called disposable agents for various operations. According to Ukraine's Security Service, 21 percent of individuals caught last year on charges of collaborating with Russia were minors, with the youngest suspect being 11 years old.


bbo@heraldcorp.com