Russians create conditions for the spread of anthrax in occupied Kherson region - GUR

In the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region, Russian invaders are creating conditions for the spread of the anthrax pathogen. This is reported by UNN with reference to information from the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine informs: in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region, Russian invaders are deliberately creating conditions for the spread of the anthrax pathogen

This primarily concerns the improper burial of carcasses of infected livestock in livestock burial grounds in the region.

Details

According to the GUR, the Russians are transporting carcasses of livestock infected with anthrax to livestock burial grounds in the occupied part of the Kherson region. In total, there are up to fifty such facilities in the region. The greatest threat is posed by about ten of them, in particular livestock burial grounds in the areas of Askania-Nova, Skadovsk, and Zaliznyi Port.

Intelligence notes that the occupiers dispose of infected animals without observing sanitary norms. The carcasses are not burned, but simply buried in the ground. Some of these facilities are in a neglected state and are located near roads and populated areas. In some cases, the distance from livestock burial grounds to residential buildings is less than one kilometer.

Furthermore, the burials of infected livestock do not have proper fences or other protective structures. The soil at the burial sites settles over time, but the occupation administration does not carry out the necessary maintenance that should ensure biological safety.

What are the additional risks in occupied Kherson region

A particular danger is the location of some livestock burial grounds in areas with a high groundwater level. This, as intelligence emphasizes, increases the risk of the spread of the anthrax pathogen, which can remain viable in the soil for decades, and in some cases, up to a century.

The GUR warns that uncontrolled burial of infected livestock and disregard for safety rules pose a direct threat to the civilian population in the temporarily occupied territories. The risks also concern the agricultural sector of the Kherson region due to possible contamination of soils and healthy animals.

Intelligence believes that the deliberate or negligent creation of conditions for an anthrax outbreak can be regarded as another crime of the aggressor state russia and an act of biological terrorism against the civilian population in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

How russia could use the situation with livestock burial grounds to harm Ukraine

In addition, intelligence officers do not rule out that russia could use the situation with livestock burial grounds to conduct a "false flag" provocation. Such an operation could combine physical impact on facilities associated with anthrax sources and an information and propaganda campaign with subsequent accusations against Ukraine of allegedly manufacturing or using "biological" weapons.

Reminder

Earlier, the media reported that russia could use chemical weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine if the war reaches a stalemate.