Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate says Russia has created more than 50 burial sites for anthrax-infected livestock in occupied portions of the Kherson region, placing infected carcasses within walking distance of civilian neighborhoods in what Kyiv is calling deliberate biological terrorism.
The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, known as the DIU, disclosed the sites this week after an assessment of occupied territory. Officials said at least 10 of the sites are categorized as particularly dangerous.
“The Russians are disposing of infected animals without complying with any sanitary standards,” the DIU said in a statement. “Instead of being properly incinerated, infected livestock carcasses are simply buried.”
Some of the grave sites sit less than one kilometer from residential areas, according to the assessment. The burial grounds lack secure fencing and other protective structures. Without proper maintenance, the soil covering the graves subsides over time, releasing anthrax spores into the surrounding environment.
Anthrax is a serious bacterial disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. It primarily affects grazing animals but can infect humans through direct contact with infected animals, through contaminated animal products, or by inhaling its spores. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies anthrax inhalation as frequently fatal without prompt treatment.
The DIU accused Russian authorities of deliberately neglecting the burial standards required to prevent biological spread. Officials said the pattern suggests an intentional effort to contaminate civilian areas rather than a logistical failure.
Ukraine also raised a second concern: that Russia may use the burial sites to stage a false-flag incident. The DIU said such a scenario “could involve an information and propaganda campaign aimed at accusing Ukraine of developing or using so-called biological weapons.”
The Kherson region remains partially occupied by Russian forces, with Ukrainian forces controlling the city of Kherson proper on the west bank of the Dnipro River. The occupied areas on the east bank and in southern portions of the region remain under Moscow’s administrative control, limiting independent inspection of the sites.
The allegation comes as the broader conflict enters its fifth year with no ceasefire in effect. Internationally recognized laws of war and the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention prohibit the development and use of biological agents as weapons. Ukraine’s accusation, if substantiated, would represent a significant violation of both frameworks.
