Man, 19, detained after sending poisoned "gift" purporting to be from woman to Ukrainian marine
A 19-year-old resident of Poltava Oblast has been served with a notice of suspicion by law enforcement officers. According to investigators, he had been recruited by Russian intelligence services to assist in the murder of a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Source: Zhytomyr Oblast Prosecutor's Office
Details: The suspect is accused of committing the premeditated murder of a Ukrainian serviceman for financial gain and in the interests of the intelligence services of the aggressor state.
The investigation found that the suspect received his instructions from a representative of the Russian secret services via the Telegram messaging app. He was offered UAH 5,000 (about US$110) for organising the killing of the 23-year-old marine.
Investigators say Russian intelligence officers had made contact with the Ukrainian serviceman through a fake social media profile purporting to be that of a young woman, who started messaging him and promised to send him a "gift" through the post.
Following instructions from his Russian handler, the suspect purchased a bottle of a strong alcoholic drink, used a medical syringe to inject it with a pre-prepared methadone-based poisonous mixture without damaging the packaging, and sent it to Zhytomyr.
Unaware of the danger, the serviceman received the parcel and consumed the alcohol at his home. He died several days later in intensive care as a result of the poisoning.
The suspect was detained at his home in Poltava Oblast and formally notified of the charges on 10 June.
Prosecutors are seeking his pre-trial detention, while investigators continue efforts to identify other individuals who were involved in organising and carrying out the crime.
If convicted, the suspect faces life imprisonment with confiscation of his assets.
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