Russian propaganda invents fake hantavirus 'outbreak' among Ukrainian soldiers
Pro-Kremlin Russian media are spreading disinformation about a so-called "hantavirus outbreak" within the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In particular, the Russian state propaganda agency TASS reported alleged cases of infection among Ukrainian servicemen, citing an anonymous source.
Following this, other Russian outlets claimed that Ukrainian military command had allegedly prohibited treatment for infected soldiers. Smaller Russian information channels later asserted that hantavirus could cause a "50-60% mortality rate" among Ukrainian troops.
Telegram channels and Facebook accounts linked to Russia also circulated claims about alleged infections in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Lviv regions.
These claims are false. The reports from Russian media have no official confirmation. The original source of the information was TASS, which referred to an unnamed individual without providing their position, affiliation, or expertise. The material contains no documents, medical data, testimonies, or other evidence to support allegations of a hantavirus outbreak among Ukrainian servicemen.
There is also no evidence to support claims that Ukrainian commanders allegedly banned treatment. Russian media have not provided any proof for such statements.
To reinforce the narrative, Russian outlets cited comments from Russian physician Andrey Kondrakhin, who claimed a "50-60% mortality rate" from hantavirus. Kondrakhin frequently appears in Russian media commenting on various topics, ranging from magnetic storms to "folk medicine," and has previously been involved in propagandistic coverage related to Russia's war against Ukraine.
The emergence of reports about a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius created a high-profile news backdrop, which Russian propaganda used to launch false claims of mass infection among Ukrainian soldiers.
According to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, five Ukrainian citizens serving as crew members were on board the vessel. Their condition was reported as satisfactory, and no signs of illness were detected among them.
In total, five people with symptoms consistent with hantavirus infection were evacuated from the ship, with two confirmed cases. The patients are currently receiving treatment in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Zurich, Switzerland. Three additional individuals with suspected infection were transported to the Netherlands and Germany.
Ukraine's Public Health Center explained that dozens of hantavirus cases are recorded in Ukraine each year. According to spokesperson Mykola Hanich, most hantaviruses are transmitted from rodents to humans. However, certain strains, including the Andes virus, can in rare cases be transmitted between humans.
Infectious disease specialist and professor Olha Holubovska also noted that the strain associated with the outbreak on MV Hondius has previously been predominantly recorded in South and North America. She refuted Russian media disinformation about a supposed outbreak among Ukrainian troops in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Lviv regions, stating that the highly lethal type of hantavirus does not circulate in Ukraine and is characteristic mainly of the Americas.
The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security also confirmed that Russian media reports about a so-called deadly hantavirus "epidemic" among Ukrainian solduers do not correspond to reality.
There have been no official reports of any outbreaks of the disease within units of Ukraine's Defense Forces.
Thus, Russian media exploited the widely reported hantavirus situation aboard MV Hondius to spread unverified claims about alleged mass infections among Ukrainian soldiers. No evidence of such an outbreak within the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been presented.
Russian propaganda earlier spread fake claims about mobilization and alleged "abuse" within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Andriy Olenin
