Russia is increasingly recruiting young women, including underage girls, to carry out attacks on Ukrainian servicemen, according to National Police chief Ivan Vyhivsky.
Speaking about a growing trend identified by law enforcement, Vyhivsky told Censor.net outlet that police have recorded six contract killings or attempted killings of male service members ordered through Telegram since the beginning of 2026.
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One of those plots was thwarted before it could be carried out.
“It is precisely young people today who are one of the main targets of Russian recruiters,” Vyhivsky said.
How does the recruitment scheme work?
According to police, Russian handlers search for recruits through Telegram and other messaging platforms, promising easy money in exchange for completing assignments.
Vyhivsky said the recruits are often instructed to meet Ukrainian service members through dating websites or social media and develop personal relationships with them.
Russian handlers allegedly provide money for apartment rentals, alcohol and other expenses, while also directing recruits to locations where they can obtain methadone and other toxic substances.
During meetings, the targeted service members are reportedly given drinks laced with drugs or poison.
“In fact, we are talking about planned murders organized by the special services of the aggressor state at the hands of Ukrainian citizens,” Vyhivsky said.
What happened in the Zhytomyr case?
One of the highest-profile cases occurred in the Zhytomyr region.
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On June 5, law enforcement officers detained a 17-year-old girl from Berdychiv suspected of poisoning a Ukrainian serviceman on instructions from a Russian handler.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the teenager was initially recruited while searching for “quick money” through Telegram channels. After being tested as a courier and drug distributor, she was allegedly instructed to establish relationships with male service members and secretly add toxic substances to their drinks.
Investigators say she began dating a 27-year-old serviceman from Zhytomyr. During one meeting in a rented apartment, she allegedly poisoned his drink, causing his death.
Authorities say she later attempted to disguise the death as natural causes but was eventually detained. She is currently in custody and faces charges including premeditated murder and potentially high treason committed under martial law.
Are adults also being recruited?
While minors have become a recruitment target, law enforcement says adults are also being lured.
Police are investigating the April death of a Ukrainian serviceman in Uzhhorod, where a 26-year-old woman from Zaporizhzhia is suspected of acting on behalf of Russian intelligence.
According to investigators, Russian operatives used her identity to create a dating profile and establish contact with the soldier. During a meeting, she allegedly added a toxic substance to his drink. The original objective was reportedly to gain access to information stored on his mobile phone after he lost consciousness.
Instead, the service member died within hours.
The suspect allegedly informed her handler and attempted to eliminate evidence before calling emergency services the following morning. She has been charged with high treason and faces up to life imprisonment.
How Russia recruits young Ukrainians online
The trend reflects a broader Russian recruitment campaign targeting Ukrainian youth.
According to the Financial Times (FT), citing Ukrainian intelligence officials, 21% of people detained in Ukraine for collaborating with Russia in 2025 were teenagers.
Officials told the newspaper that Russian intelligence services recruit young people through Telegram, TikTok, Discord, Facebook and online games, offering cryptocurrency payments for various assignments.
While early tasks included collecting information, distributing propaganda leaflets and committing arson, more recent operations have involved espionage, handling explosives and targeting Ukrainian military personnel.
Ukrainian intelligence officials said the youngest person Russia attempted to recruit for sabotage activities was only 11 years old.
Police warn service members to remain vigilant
Vyhivsky urged Ukrainian service members to exercise caution when meeting people online, warning that Russian intelligence services actively use social media and dating platforms to identify targets and gather information.
“I want to emphasize: no promises of reward exempt from criminal liability,” he said. “Persons who agree to cooperate with representatives of the aggressor state will be held responsible in accordance with the law.”
He added that Russian intelligence services view such recruits as disposable tools and show no concern for their future once a task has been completed.
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