Russia is deliberately creating conditions for the spread of anthrax in occupied parts of Ukraine’s Kherson region and may be preparing a future false-flag operation involving contaminated livestock burial sites, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) reported.
According to HUR on Tuesday, Russian occupation authorities have transported carcasses of anthrax-infected livestock to animal burial grounds across the occupied territory without following proper sanitary procedures.
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The agency said dozens of such sites exist in the region, with some of the highest-risk locations situated near Askania-Nova, Skadovsk, and Zaliznyi Port.
HUR alleged that infected animals are being buried rather than incinerated.
Following this, many burial grounds are located close to roads and populated areas, in some cases less than one kilometer (0.6 miles) from residential settlements.
The intelligence agency also said many sites lack protective fencing or other biosecurity measures and have not been properly maintained by occupation authorities.
According to HUR, some burial grounds are also located in areas with high groundwater levels, increasing the risk of environmental contamination.
Anthrax spores can remain viable in soil for decades and, in some cases, more than a century.
The agency warned that uncontrolled disposal of infected livestock poses a direct threat to civilians and agricultural activity in occupied parts of the Kherson region due to the risk of contamination of soil, water, and healthy animals.
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HUR described the situation as a potential act of “biological terrorism” and said it could not rule out the possibility that Russia may later use the burial sites as part of a false-flag operation.
Such a scenario, the agency said, could combine physical damage to contaminated sites with an information campaign accusing Ukraine of developing or using biological weapons.
Russia did not immediately comment on the allegations.
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