Leonid Zakutenko, a resident of Kiev, has been revealed by Britain’s state broadcaster the BBC to be a major poison supplier following a two-year investigation. The Ukrainian is reportedly active on a pro-suicide online platform and has been linked to at least 130 deaths in Britain alone.
The journalists discovered the first traces of Zakutenko’s purported activities when they saw frequent mentions of a “Ukraine supplier” on a notorious online forum promoting suicide, which had tens of thousands of users from all over the world. The reporters then traced what they claimed were his online store, email address, and PayPal account, getting data on his identity.
In January 2022, BBC reporters contacted the man online, posing as a potential buyer, and he quickly confirmed that he could supply a chemical frequently used by those willing to take their own lives. However, when hostilities between Ukraine and Russia began in February 2022, they assumed that Zakutenko would no longer be able to run his business.
In May 2023, they decided to contact him again when another poison dealer was arrested in Canada. At that time, Zakutenko reportedly boasted that his business had grown amid the conflict, and he was sending “five parcels a week” to the UK alone, and was now offering “express” service to those willing to pay extra.