Livestock are being destroyed in Russia: hackers warn of the risk of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease

The hacker community reported receiving secret documents related to a potential outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and possible mass destruction of livestock in the Russian Federation.

The information became known on April 16. According to members of the HackYourMom group, these materials belong to Rossilhospnadzor.

The documents record cases of significant destruction of animals, which were made publicly available for inspection.

“To all analysts and international news organizations… it is better not to buy meat and dairy products from the Russian Federation due to the risk of foot-and-mouth disease,” one of the messages stated.

Hackers have speculated that the destruction of livestock may be linked to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, stressing that it is currently not a coincidence.

“Mass destruction of cows is not an accidental phenomenon,” they added.

Experts note that a sharp reduction in livestock may indicate serious risks of the spread of infection.

However, official representatives of the Russian Federation deny this, citing other reasons, such as pasteurellosis or rabies.

According to an analytical report by the USDA, as early as March 2026, a number of regions have seen the destruction of cattle in compliance with foot-and-mouth disease control protocols.

Experts emphasize that such extreme measures are atypical for pasteurellosis, as this disease can usually be treated.

This raises further questions among the international veterinary community, as there is a significant difference between official explanations and the actual actions being observed.

It is also reported about a large-scale fire in Cherepovka, Vologda region, on the territory of a chemical plant, which occurred after an attack by unknown drones. The fire engulfed part of the production facilities related to the production of ammonia.