As of: January 23, 2024, 4:29 a.m
By: Denise Dörries
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The scenario at the front in the Ukraine War is reminiscent of the First World War: rats and mice infest the shelters and spread diseases.
Kharkiv – There are frightening parallels to the First World War on the front in the Ukrainian war.
Rats and mice have infested the shelters, damaging important military and electrical equipment and spreading disease.
Hantavirus, also known as “mouse fever,” poses a particular threat to soldiers. The situation is exacerbated by inadequate medical care in the war zone.
A Ukrainian soldier, known by the code name “Kira,” told CNN about her experience.
She and three other soldiers shared a bunker with an estimated 1,000 mice: “It wasn't the mice that visited us;
We were their guests.” Such conditions are no exception on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides of the front.
Rats and mice look for warmth in shelters at the front
The rodents, which search for food and warmth along the approximately 1,000 kilometer long front, can pose a danger to the soldiers.
Kira went on to say that they had tried everything possible to rid their bunkers of mice and rats.
Neither poison nor ammonia and even a cat could provide any long-term relief.
“We had a cat called Busia, who initially helped out and ate mice.
But later there were so many that she refused.
A cat can catch one or two mice, but if there are 70, that’s unrealistic.”
Videos on social media shared by Russian and Ukrainian emergency services show the animals scurrying around under beds, in backpacks, coat pockets and pillowcases.
This illustrates the extent of the infestation at the front.
“Mouse fever” poses an enormous threat to the situation on the front lines of the Ukrainian war
Back in December, Ukrainian intelligence reported an outbreak of “mouse fever” in some Russian units near Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region.
The disease can be transmitted, for example, through aerosols.
According to the Secret Service report cited by CNN, hantavirus can be transmitted to humans “by inhaling mouse fecal dust or by ingesting mouse feces in food.”
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Symptoms of “mouse fever” include fever, rashes, vomiting, low blood pressure, back pain, problems urinating and bleeding in the eyes.
This flu-like infection can incapacitate soldiers.
The winter temperatures contribute to this.
Ukrainian defense intelligence believes that the Russians' combat capability has been "decreased" by the spread of the disease.
It is not yet known whether Ukrainian troops are also affected in a similar way.
Rats and mice invade trenches in the Ukraine war and pose great danger to soldiers.
The animals transmit “mouse fever”.
© Screenshot/CNN/Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu/Getty Images
Ukraine War has similarities to the First World War
During the First World War, rotting piles of rubbish and corpses led to an explosive proliferation of rodents.
The English poet Robert Graves, who fought in the trenches, wrote about it in his memoirs.
He described how the animals “came up from the canal, fed on the numerous corpses and multiplied exceedingly.”
Not only the harsh winter could be responsible for the increase in the rat population during the Ukrainian war, but also the stagnation of the conflict.
During World War I, the plague of rodents increased as the conflict came to a standstill.
Valeriy Zalushny, the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said late last year: “Just like in the First World War, we have reached the stage that puts us in a stalemate.”
Nibbled cables: Rat infestations don't just cause illness
However, the animals not only cause illness, but also damage equipment.
Kira told CNN that the mice "managed to climb into metal boxes and gnaw through wires." This is a big problem because broken cables and wires can disrupt communication.
“The mice chewed everything: radios, repeaters, cables.
They got into cars and chewed on the electrical wires,” said Kira.
As winter temperatures drop on the front lines, the problem of rats and mice is likely to increase.
The animals push further and further into the trenches in search of warmth and food.
“The fight against them should be organized and not rely on soldiers and volunteers.
After all, this is about the combat capability of the army.
We have to take care of our soldiers,” warned Ihor Zahorodniuk, a researcher at the National Museum of National History of Ukraine.
Author Denise Dörries wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked.