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.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. 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.