Agents who were planning murders on the orders of Russian intelligence agencies were exposed in the Zhytomyr region
In the Zhytomyr region, two residents of Korostyshiv have been arrested on suspicion of treason and premeditated murders committed for financial gain and on the orders of handlers linked to Russian intelligence agencies.
This was reported by the Zhytomyr Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, in March 2026, a representative of the Russian special services allegedly contacted one of the suspects, a 28-year-old man, via Telegram while he was in custody on drug-related charges. In response to a request for a financial “loan,” he was given a condition: to murder a Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemember.
After posting bail and being released, the man, according to investigators, staged the murder: he forced a homeless man to put on a military uniform, photographed him, and sent the photo to his handler. He then drove the man to a forest belt near Zhytomyr and killed him.
It was also established that in February 2026, this same suspect, together with a 23-year-old accomplice and acting on the instructions of the same handler, poisoned a Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemember. According to the investigation, methadone and tetrahydrocannabinol were added to the alcohol. For this, the perpetrators received 30,000 hryvnias.
In addition, law enforcement officials stated that they managed to prevent another contract killing—the target was to be a Hero of Ukraine, a Major General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The suspects have been placed in pretrial detention. The prosecutor’s office notes that, in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
