Desperate Ukraine troops enlisting cats as bunkers overrun with snakes and rats

04 December 2023 , 20:20

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A Ukrainian soldier petting a cat in a trench in Donetsk Oblast (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ukrainian troops fighting invading Russians say their trenches have become infested with snakes, rats and mice.

Some troops have enlisted stray and even domestic cats to help deal with the creatures. It is believed Russian invasion forces are facing a similar problem in their own dugouts. The vermin are being drawn in from the cold by the scent of food and the warmth of soldiers’ fires. The snakes, of which there are nine types in Ukraine, are then attracted in to the trenches to prey on the mice and rats.

In one report a Ukrainian military source said: “Numerous images from the front show that the infestation of rodents and snakes has become a serious problem for both the Ukrainian army and Russian troops.

A view of a freshly-dug trench in Vuhledar (Anadolu via Getty Images)

“One soldier found two snakes and troops have found mice running under mattresses and from sleeping bags.” The mice are particularly common, disturbing soldiers’ sleep, biting them, eating their food and gnawing on equipment, even their weapons.

One Ukrainian solider told a TV channel: “When you wake up, you always catch two or three mice crawling into your sleeping bag. It’s not particularly pleasant when your finger is bitten.” The trench horror was revealed as Kyiv claimed 332,810 Russian troops have been killed since full-scale war began.

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There are nine different types of snakes in Ukraine (Anadolu via Getty Images)

It comes as the Biden administration yesterday sent Congress an urgent appeal for tens of billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine. Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the US will run out of funding to send weapons without it. She said it would “kneecap” Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself. She said the US has run out of money which has been sent to help prop up Ukraine’s economy.

And she warned: “If Ukraine’s economy collapses, they will not be able to keep fighting, full stop. We are out of money – and nearly out of time.”

President Biden wants an £84billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other needs, but has faced Republican opposition.

His administration has said it has slowed down the pace of some military assistance to Kyiv in recent weeks as it attempts to stretch supplies until Congress approves more funding.

Chris Hughes