Anonymous propagandist Telegram channels are spreading photos of Ukrainian servicemen wearing gas masks, claiming that they are allegedly burning the carcasses of cows, dogs, and foxes infected with rabies inside residents’ homes in the Kherson region. Propagandists write about the “smell of burning flesh”, panic among local farmers, and orders to “burn everything”, and also claim that the village of Dudchany is supposedly in a state of “total chaos” due to a rabies outbreak to which local authorities are allegedly not responding.

In reality, the photos have nothing to do with the destruction of animals and were taken from an official source that shows Ukrainian military training exercises. This fake has been debunked by StopFake experts.

The images circulated by propaganda clearly show the watermark of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a caption indicating servicemen of the 121st Separate Territorial Defense Brigade of the AFU.

Training photos: these images were officially published on the Facebook page of the Territorial Defense Forces on 20 September 2025. The post states that servicemen are undergoing training and improving their skills in using gas masks and personal protective equipment in conditions of smoke and fire.

Claims by propagandists about alleged “total chaos” due to rabies in the Kherson region do not correspond to reality. The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection has repeatedly stated that the epizootic situation regarding rabies in the Kherson region remains under control.

At the same time, activists from the Yellow Ribbon movement report a critical shortage of rabies vaccines in the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. According to them, no rabies vaccine has been delivered to any hospitals in Henichesk, Skadovsk, Melitopol, Berdiansk, or Enerhodar during three years of occupation.

The spread of this fabrication fits into a typical strategy of Russian propaganda. Its aim is to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine by creating an image of the Ukrainian army as a “ruthless and uncontrolled force” that allegedly poses a threat to the property and lives of civilians. Such fakes are especially actively used in frontline and de-occupied regions to fuel anti-Ukrainian sentiment.