Rachel Lang
Two Russian soldiers are dead after local Ukrainians gave them pastries laced with poison.
Troops from Russia’s 3rd Motor Rifle Division died immediately after eating the food in Izium, Kharkiv, Ukraine’s intelligence agency announced in a Facebook post.
Following the incident, a further 28 soldiers were rushed to intensive care.
Another 500 Russian soldiers are also in hospital suffering from heavy alcohol poisoning.
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Ukrainian intelligence officials claimed Russia was writing the troops off as 'non-combat losses'.
“Ukrainians resist the occupiers by all available means," officials said in the social post.
“According to available information, local residents of the Izium district (Kharkiv region) ‘treated’ Russians from the 3rd Motor Rifle Division of the Russian Federation with poisoned pies.
“As a result, two occupiers died at once, another 28 were taken to the intensive care unit. Their current state is being clarified.
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“About 500 more servicemen of the 3rd Motor Rifle Division of the Russian Federation are in hospitals due to severe alcohol poisoning of unknown origin.”
The poisoning by Ukrainian civilians is the latest blow for invading Russian troops.
Russian soldiers were evacuated from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant last week after multiple soldiers suffered radiation poisoning and were rushed by the busload to specialist hospitals in Belarus.
The news broke after one exclusion zone worker told Reuters a convoy of Russian soldiers kicked up clouds of radioactive dust while driving through the ‘Red Forest’ after the invaders seized control of the area.
"There are rules for dealing with this area," the exclusion zone worker said on social media.
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"They are mandatory because radiation is physics - it works without regard to status or shoulder straps.
"With minimal intelligence in command or soldiers, these consequences could have been avoided."Vast areas around Chernobyl remains off limits to anyone who doesn't have special permission to enter or works within the exclusion zone, but the Red Forest is off limits to all due to its dangerously high levels of radioactive contamination.
The mass hospitalisations came just over one month after Russian forces seized Chernobyl shortly after the invasion kicked off on February 28.
Russian forces have now given the facility and exclusion zone back to Ukraine in a massive win for the country.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information.