Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin are stooping to new lows in the war in Ukraine by reportedly copying the sick tactics of ISIS and recruiting children for “suicide missions”. The notorious extremist Islamist death cult, Islamic State, often used women and children, as well as men, to carry out sick attacks using explosive suicide bomb vests and other methods which were fatal to the recruit as well as those being attacked.

Now News Lines Magazine reports the favoured tactics of ISIS are being adopted by Moscow as Putin’s forces are recruiting woman and teenagers to carry out deadly missions, often without the recruits even knowing they are being sent to their deaths. In one incident in March, two teenagers were recruited by Russia troops on the pretence of earning some “easy money” for planting a device in the front line Ukrainian city Mykolaiv.

Unbeknown to the two youngsters the Russias reportedly planned to detonate the bomb, and so both of them, when they reached their target. Ed Bogan, a former CIA officer with experience of both Russia and Islamist terrorists, told the publication: “It’s al Qaeda and ISIS-level tactics. There are no limits to what the Russians will do now.”

A Ukrainian intelligence officer supported Mr Bogan’s assessment, adding: “The Russian intelligence services consider such people ‘one-time’ assets and have never been worried about them.

“Teenagers and young people are easier to recruit for such actions, when you characterise what they’re being asked to do as some sort of game.”

On Valentine’s Day this year, another attack saw a middle-aged woman dressed in a red coat reportedly approach a group of Ukrainian soldiers sitting outside a cafe in Mykolaiv. When the woman put down the bag she was carrying, it exploded, killing her and the three soldiers.

Authorities investigating the sickening incident disovered the woman had thought she was only delivering a large sum of money to a location on behalf of her Russian handlers. The 42-year-old reportedly had an infant child and was recruited by Russian intelligence on the Telegram social media platform.

In Britain, Downing Street has welcomed a new economic deal signed between Ukraine and the US, after Foreign Secretary David Lammy said UK support for Kyiv remains “steadfast”.

The two countries signed off on an agreement on Wednesday that is expected to give the US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, while providing President Volodymyr Zelensky with a measure of assurance about US support for Kyiv in its war with Russia.

It comes two months after a fraught meeting between Mr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the White House looked to have derailed an agreement.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Thursday: “We obviously welcome steps taken by the US and Ukraine to sign an economic partnership.”

The developments come as Mr Trump has expressed frustrations with Mr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks over progress towards peace.