Reports indicate that Russia is releasing anthrax-infected livestock in Ukraine, specifically dumping cow carcasses near residential neighborhoods. Ukrainian officials are calling this act “bioterrorism.”
Authorities in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine’s Kherson region are reportedly burying these contaminated animals in various sites, with claims of up to 50 burial locations, ten of which are marked as particularly hazardous for locals. This information has been provided by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Service.
“Whether done intentionally or through negligence, creating conditions for an anthrax outbreak is a crime committed by the aggressor state, Russia. It amounts to bioterrorism against civilians in temporarily occupied territories,” the agency stated.
Officials assert that the infected animals are being buried without proper incineration in the southeastern region, including areas close to Askania Nova, Skadovsk, and the Zalizny port.
Some of these sites are located less than a kilometer from residential areas.
The occupying Russian forces have not set up any protective barriers or biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of anthrax, which poses serious health risks to humans.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that anthrax spores can linger in soil for many years, with inhalation often leading to fatal outcomes.
The DIU has suggested that there’s a chance Russia might be creating these hazardous burial sites for potential “false flag operations.” This could involve attacks on these sites, as well as propaganda efforts aimed at accusing Ukraine of using biological weapons.
These alarming claims arise amid an escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine, including recent drone and missile strikes targeting the capital, Kyiv. At least a dozen people were reported killed in these assaults on Monday night.
“These are residential areas—places where people lived and went about their daily lives,” remarked Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Department, in a Telegram post.
Just last week, a coordinated attack by Russia resulted in the deaths of at least 31 individuals in Kyiv.
Meanwhile, President Zelenskiy has reiterated his call for Western allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses with more supplies of Patriot missiles, emphasizing that a failure to do so could encourage Russia to extend its ongoing conflict.
