Katherine Mielniczuk, 26, died from opioid intoxication and Ukrainian police say an investigation of “homicide” into her death is “ongoing” – but a coroner has questioned if she was given a fatal dose without her consent
The death of a British combat medic who served in some of Ukraine’s most fierce battles with Russia is the subject of a murder probe – with fears she could have been pumped with a fatal dose of drugs.
Questions have been raised if Katherine Mielniczuk’s death involved “foul play” before she was found dead in her bed. And a coroner has demanded to know if someone “administered something without her consent” before her colleagues discovered her lifeless body. Cops initially said they did not believe the 26-year-old’s death was suspicious. But the Mirror can today reveal that police in the battle-scarred city of Sloviansk launched a murder investigation that is “ongoing”. It comes after Vladimir Putin warned of an impending nuclear war.
Katherine’s death comes amid a flurry of suspicious deaths involving British citizens who had joined the bid to stop Vladimir Putin’s bloodthirsty advance on Ukraine. At a pre-inquest review hearing, South London Coroner’s Court heard Katherine died of “opioid intoxication” but that vital evidence had not yet been passed to British authorities.
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She had been in Ukraine for 18 months with the humanitarian group Stay Safe UA and was attached to the 151st unit of the Special Operations Forces. After travelling to the most volatile stretches of the frontline, Katherine earned herself the nickname “Apache”.
Assistant coroner Ivor Collett told the court in Croydon: “We know that the police authorities in Sloviansk did initiate an investigation into Katherine’s death under article 115 of their criminal code dealing with homicide. The latest from them is that the investigation is ongoing.”
And speaking to the Mielniczuk family’s solicitors, he added: “Has there been foul play? Has someone administered something without Katherine’s consent? Has someone put them into her system without her being willing? What we are really concerned with is what happened while she was a combat medic in Ukraine.”
Katherine’s body was discovered by colleagues in the early hours of Christmas Eve in 2023. She went to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022 after feeling compelled to use her medical knowledge to help those caught up in the war.
Mr Collett told the University of Bristol graduate’s family’s solicitors at the hearing that he would write to the authorities in Sloviansk to request they provide further information on the death. He said he would formally request copies of relevant statements, sketches or photos of the scene, reports of fingerprints and other forensic evidence and data from Katherine’s phone.
The hearing was told her family have still not been provided with the phone she was using at the time of her death. Mr Collett said Ukrainian police had offered to show evidence from it if a representative travelled to Ukraine, but Mr Collett said that was unreasonable considering it was a warzone.
He said he would request it be sent to the UK, adding: “I think there is a fair chance we will be given the cold shoulder.”
Ms Mielniczuk isn’t the first Brit whose death in Ukraine has been suspicious. Former Scots Guard Jordan Chadwick, 31, a volunteer from Burnley, Lancashire, travelled to Ukraine as a volunteer fighter in 2022. But he was found dead in a body of water with his hands tied behind his back in June the following year.
Meanwhile Daniel Burke, from Manchester, was shot by a comrade miles from the front line in August 2023. Although the shooter claimed it was an accident, that was rejected by Manchester Area Coroner Zak Golombeck at an inquest in December.
In a Facebook post a day before her death, Ms Mielniczuk asked her followers to remember Ukrainian volunteers, saying “many of us cannot return home or celebrate Christmas”. She added: “The mental, physical, financial consequences of war are catastrophic and a kind word can hold tremendous power for us when we are losing hope and seeing tragedies daily. We prioritise fighting for a free Ukraine, for a prosperous and fruitful future for Ukrainian children.”
Katherine’s family, from Westerham in Kent, released a heartfelt statement about their beloved daughter after her death. They said: “She devoted her life to helping others, as a medic, as a scientist and researcher, and as a friend. She volunteered her last 18 months in Ukraine, working in logistical aid and as a combat medic all over the country.
They added: “It is impossible to truly convey what an incredible woman Katherine was or how deeply and widely she was loved and will be missed. Kasia is gone, but the endless warmth, love and grace she brought to the world will never be lost.”
Ukrainian volunteer organisation Project Konstantin, which she had worked with, said on Facebook of her death: “It is with deep regret that we announce the passing away of Katherine Mielniczuk. “We learned of this dreadful news a couple of hours ago and after talks with her family, we have offered to help.
“All we know is that she was discovered in her bed this morning (24 December 2023), the cause of her death at this stage is not being treated as suspicious. Further information will be released later by the authorities. For now, we’re focusing on the pain that her family is enduring and we’re trying to appease their suffering by affording them the chance to fly out to Ukraine and we want to assist with repatriation costs.”
Ms Mielniczuk’s full inquest is yet to take place, but is unlikely to happen this year. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We provided consular support to the family of a British woman who died in Ukraine.”