In this issue, we debunk another fabrication by the Kremlin dictator about the alleged spread of measles in Russia due to migrant workers from abroad, particularly from Ukraine. We also refute claims about “millions” of refugees from Ukraine who supposedly moved to Russia. Additionally, we debunk the fake that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are planning to poison water and animal feed in the temporarily occupied territories. A Russian official claimed that the first case of intentional infection of pigs with African swine fever has already been registered in a village under the control of the Ukrainian authorities in the Zaporizhzhia region.
With the support of the USAID Health Reform Support project, VoxCheck analyzes and refutes public health narratives spread in the information space of Ukraine, Belarus, and russia on a weekly basis.
Disinformation: The incidence of measles in Russia has increased due to foreign migrant workers, particularly from Ukraine
In his recent press conference, among other widespread fakes, Putin also mentioned the vaccination of Ukrainians. According to him, measles outbreaks worldwide occur due to the low immunization level of migrant workers who move to other countries. Putin emphasizes that “millions” of Ukrainians have moved to Russia, and the measles vaccination rate in Ukraine itself remains very low.
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What’s the reality?
On July 17, 2023, Ukraine launched a “catch-up” vaccination program against measles for children who missed vaccinations due to war or other circumstances. According to the preventive vaccination schedule, measles, mumps, and rubella vaccinations are administered to children twice — during the first year of life and at 6 years old. If a child misses timely vaccination, two doses can be administered later with a one-month interval. Therefore, this year, it was planned to vaccinate over 260,000 children.
As of October 28, more than 153,000 children in Ukraine have received measles vaccination, according to the latest data. Health Minister of Ukraine Viktor Liashko later announced that the overall coverage of vaccination for children under one year in the first 9 months of 2023 against measles, epidemic mumps, and rubella is 74%. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, vaccination should cover at least 95% of children for their complete protection.
Source: Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko
At the same time, the decrease in measles immunization among children has occurred not only in Ukraine. In November 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that after years of declining measles vaccinations, the incidence rate of the disease in children worldwide increased by 18%. In 2022, about 37 countries experienced measles outbreaks, most of which were located in the African region. However in 2022, global measles vaccination cases moderately increased compared to 2021.
Ukraine’s Chief Sanitary Doctor, Ihor Kuzin, reported that currently, in Ukraine, only isolated small measles outbreaks are being recorded, which do not escalate into widespread infections. In the first 9 months of 2023, Ukraine registered 46 cases of measles. The last outbreak of this disease in Ukraine was recorded in 2017-2019, when 115 thousand people were infected. Therefore, Ukrainian refugees could not introduce a measles epidemic into Russia or other countries, as there is no outbreak of this disease among them.
Moreover, the immunization of children is influenced by their relocation abroad. Due to Russia’s aggression, the number of children in Ukraine has decreased compared to 2021. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine notes that 30% of invited children for vaccination did not appear due to their departure or temporary residence abroad. Additionally, 8% of children were found to have contraindications to vaccination based on their health condition. Therefore, the overall vaccination rate may be lower as a result of these factors.
Putin also presents distorted data regarding the “millions” of Ukrainian refugees who supposedly went to Russia. The UN indeed states that as of June 30, 2023, approximately 2.8 million Ukrainians could have crossed the border into Russia. However, the organization acknowledges that there are no precise data on how many Ukrainians have left Russia during this time. The Center for Economic Strategy writes that as of the end of June 2023, there could have been about 1.3 million Ukrainians in Russia.
Furthermore, Putin does not mention the abduction of Ukrainian children and the forced deportation of people from temporarily occupied territories. According to the Human Rights Commissioner of the President of Ukraine, Ukraine has officially confirmed the deportation of 19,500 children to Russia, while the actual number of abducted children may reach 200-300 thousand. In addition, some families were forced to travel to Russia in order to then reach European countries and return to Ukraine. All these factors affect the overall figure of individuals crossing the border with Russia.
Disinformation: The Armed Forces of Ukraine are spreading African swine fever in the temporarily occupied territories
The Chief of the Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops of Russia, Ihor Kirilov, claimed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine could intentionally poison water sources, food supplies, and animal feedstocks in the territories under Russia’s control, as they have not achieved success in the counteroffensive. He also reported that in November 2023, in the village of Chernihivka in the Zaporizhzhia region, experts discovered the intentional introduction of the African swine fever pathogen on one of the agricultural enterprises.
What’s the reality?
There is no evidence that the disease has been spread or is planned to be spread by Ukrainian military personnel. The virus spreads through natural factors not only in Ukraine or Russia but worldwide. Kirilov has repeatedly spread fake information about the Ukrainian Armed Forces to discredit them.
African Swine Fever (ASF) is a viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. There is no cure or vaccine for the disease, and the only way to stop its spread is by depopulating infected animals. The disease does not pose a threat to human health, but humans can carry the virus on clothing, shoes, vehicles, etc. Pigs can also get infected through contaminated feed and ticks carried by infected animals.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, from January 2021 to November 23, 2023, African Swine Fever (ASF) has been registered in five different regions of the world in 52 countries, including Ukraine and Russia. The disease continues to spread to new countries and regions. During this period, 10 countries reported the first case of the disease, and 12 countries recorded the virus spreading to new areas. The majority of cases were reported in Europe and Asia.
From November 3 to November 23, 2023, cases of the disease were registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Sweden. According to the latest data, 39 cases of ASF have been registered on the territory under Ukrainian control since the beginning of the year. This virus is reported annually in Ukraine and Russia.
Sources: The head office of the State Production and Consumer Service in the Kherson region, World Organization for Animal Health
The year 2023 was no exception; as of December 18, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia reported 101 cases of African Swine Fever (including cases in temporarily occupied territories). The first outbreak of the disease in 2023 was recorded in the village of Troitsko-Nikolskoye in the Vladimir region, while the first report of the disease in the temporarily occupied territories emerged in September 2023 in the city of Volnovakha in the Donetsk region. Following this, Kirilov claimed the detection of the disease in the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, in the village of Chernihivka.
So, there is no data indicating that Ukrainian military personnel are involved in spreading African Swine Fever or planning such provocations. Russian officials make such statements to frighten and manipulate citizens in the occupied territories against the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Although there are no precise statistics on the spread of infectious diseases in the temporarily occupied territories, after the start of the invasion, there have been reports of a shortage of doctors, medical supplies, and equipment, as Russians redirected the healthcare system to serve their troops. There were also documented outbreaks of acute intestinal infections, hepatitis A, and COVID-19 in the areas not controlled by Ukraine. Additionally, in the Kherson region, the epidemiological situation sharply deteriorated after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka HPP.
In addition, animals in temporarily occupied territories suffer from a shortage of medicines and vaccinations. According to Olena Taran, the owner of the animal shelter “Unbroken. Kherson,” veterinary clinics closed during the occupation of Kherson, and humanitarian aid was not delivered. Russian propaganda media even reported on the rapid spread of rabies in the occupied territories.
This information piece was produced with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), provided on behalf of the people of the United States of America. This article’s content, which does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, is the sole responsibility of Deloitte Consulting under contract #72012118C00001.
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The authors do not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have no relevant affiliations
