Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Service posted on Facebook on Saturday that two soldiers had died and 28 were taken to the intensive care unit after being fed poisoned cakes in the city of Izium. About 500 additional Russian soldiers were hospitalized due to severe alcohol poisoning of “unknown origin”, the post added. The troops came from the 3rd Russian Motorized Rifle Division, according to Ukrainian officials. The post said the Russian government allegedly described the incident as “non-combat casualties”. The state of health of those being treated is currently unknown. Newsweek contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for further comments and will update this story with any responses. Sign in to Facebook to start sharing and connecting with friends, family and people you know. Ever since Russia first invaded Ukraine on February 24, there have been many stories of Ukrainian civilians taking up arms or using other means to subdue enemy troops. Earlier, the Ukrainian government urged citizens to train for the necessary battle and make Molotov cocktails. In one case, a local brewery in Lviv changed completely from beer production to home-made incendiary bombs. Other videos have captured Ukrainian civilians confronting armed soldiers or standing in front of Russian tanks in an attempt to prevent their advance. Last month, a grandmother in Kyiv claimed to have pulled out a Russian drone by throwing a jar of pickled tomatoes at it, Insider reported. The country’s fierce resistance has prevented Russian troops from successfully occupying any major city. On Saturday, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister announced that the capital, Kyiv, was now completely free of Russian troops after more than five weeks of fighting in the region. However, the Russian invasion led to widespread destruction of Ukrainian cities and villages and forced millions of civilians to flee their homes. The United Nations says more than 1,200 Ukrainian civilians have been killed so far, but experts expect the number to be much higher. Ukrainian civilians have reportedly killed two Russian soldiers and injured dozens more with poisoned cakes and alcohol. As the fighting continues into their sixth week, above, a funeral procession for a fallen Ukrainian soldier appears to be heading to the cemetery on April 3 in Rusyn, Ukraine. Joe Raedle / Getty Images This weekend, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry also accused Russian troops of “arbitrarily” executing civilians in the city of Bukha, northwest of Kiev. Reports indicate that civilians were shot with their hands tied behind their backs, while bodies were found in yards, cars and on the streets. According to Human Rights Watch, a global defense organization, Russian troops are also said to have raped and killed women and children. The United States and other Western officials have condemned Russia’s actions, with several lawmakers calling the allegations “war crimes” and calling for further sanctions against Moscow. As the fighting escalates into its sixth week, representatives of the two nations have not yet agreed on terms for ending the war. A Ukrainian official suggested on Saturday that face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were likely to take place in Turkey soon. However, Russia quickly rejected the idea, with negotiator Vladimir Medinsky saying the countries remained very divided on key issues.
