Is Putin Going ‘Buggy?’ Russia Accuses U.S. of Mosquito Masterplan

Mosquitoes are annoying. They’ve ruined many backyard barbecues and hikes through the woods.

They can also be dangerous. Especially for those who are allergic to them or when those bugs carry diseases including life-threatening malaria. 

But a weapon of war? That’s the latest buzz. And it shows to what extent Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to go to swat attention away from his ineffective military campaign against Ukraine. 

Recently a Russian official accused the United States of planning to target Russian troops with drones carrying genetically modified and malaria-bearing mosquitoes. I’m not making this up.

One newspaper reported that America might even be itching to unleash these killer mosquitoes in Moscow, the Russian capital. There’s no word yet on whether the Kremlin believes that a handshake with an American official could transmit cooties.

Allegation Follows Ukraine Advances 

Igor Kirillov is the head of Putin’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops. His claim came on the heels of Ukraine’s announcement that it had recaptured from Russia the village of Piatykhatky in the southern Zaporizhzhya region. 

It marked the eighth recaptured village in the area during Ukraine’s two-week counteroffensive. Russia’s bizarre statement also followed Ukraine’s declaration that it had killed or wounded more than 4,800 Russian soldiers – and captured 80 others – in just a week’s time. 

Kirillov said that America’s goal with this strange strategy was to infect Russian troops with malaria or the West Nile virus in order to incapacitate them.

He said, “The high technical level of U.S. preparedness for the use of infected vectors is evidenced by a patent for a drone designed to spread infected mosquitoes in the air.

“The description of the patent emphasizes that the infected soldier is not able to perform the combat missions assigned to him.”

Was Dam Collapse Caused by Russian Explosives? 

Kirillov’s stinging rebuke of the U.S. included a mention of a drop in the water level, which could result in a rise in mosquitoes infected by West Nile.

A Ukraine reservoir the size of the Great Salt Lake in Utah was recently attacked, causing flooding that has destroyed homes and farmland.

More than 11,000 people have been evacuated from the area, and at least 52 have died from the flooding.

Bad blood between the nations resulted in both Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the attack on the reservoir. A legal team of experts said it was “highly likely” the collapse was caused by Russian explosives.

‘Allied Insects’ Is Latest Russian Paranoia

Kirillov actually charged the U.S. with the Kakhovka dam attack, saying it was part of America’s mosquito masterplan.

“The flooding of Kherson region planned by the Kyiv (Ukrainian) regime can complicate the situation, including with regard to arbovirus infections,” he said. 

Another Russian official, Irina Yarovaya, referred to the alleged U.S. tactic as “Allied Insects.” She is head of Russia’s Parliamentary Committee for Security.

While dropping disease-carrying mosquitoes from drones is an outlandish accusation, there is a likelihood of diseases spreading from the dam collapse. 

In fact, the Russian army has recently suffered a cholera outbreak with soldiers being admitted to military hospitals daily with suspected cases of the bacterial disease.

Is Mosquito Claim Part of Russian Strategy?

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the mosquito accusation by tweeting, “Everyone who chooses the path of evil destroys himself.

“For a long time, Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it.”  

While it’s easy to laugh off a biting accusation such as the launching of disease-carrying mosquitoes via drones, it does make one wonder. In the past, Russia has been known for making extraordinary and obviously false claims because it was planning similar operations. 

That way, if Ukrainian soldiers were infected by genetically modified mosquitoes unleashed on them by the Russians, Moscow could claim that America’s tactic had backfired.

Of course, that’s highly unlikely as well. But Kirillov has asked the United Nations nuclear watchdog and the European Union to examine whether Ukraine is working on a “dirty bomb” to use against the Russian military.

Recent Insurrection Still Fresh in Minds

The extraordinary claim of an American plan to infect Russian troops with mosquitoes may also be an attempt to steer attention away from the recent insurrection led by Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The head of the Wagner Group – a Russian paramilitary organization – denounced Putin’s military campaign against Ukraine, then sent his fighters from occupied eastern Ukraine toward Moscow in what he called a “march for justice.”

A deal brokered by Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko halted Prigozhin’s convoy 120 miles south of the Russian capital. But the rebellion embarrassed the Kremlin and led to Putin lashing out at his former ally.

Putin accused Prigozhin of treason, called him “scum,” and declared his actions “a stab in the back of our country.”

Once Russia’s mosquito masterplan accusation runs its course, it will be interesting to see what ludicrous conspiracy theory Putin comes up with next. We may have only scratched the surface so far.