A well-known Chechen special forces unit, nicknamed Russia’s “TikTok soldiers”, have been struck by an outbreak of a dangerous rodent-borne illness.
At least three members of the Akhmat Battalion, a group more famous for posting staged combat footage than for actual battlefield accomplishments, have contracted hantavirus, a disease commonly referred to by Russian and Ukrainian troops as “mouse fever”, according to The Telegraph. The most serious form of the virus, Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), usually starts with flu-like symptoms and progresses to high fever and abdominal pain. In severe cases, it can cause low blood pressure, bleeding from the eyes, and ultimately kidney failure.
Hantavirus, which can be fatal in up to 38% of cases, is not transmitted between people but through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva.
An Akhmat Battalion medic, using the callsign Shama, told a Russian Telegram channel that mice had overrun their positions.
“Mice are everywhere. We wake up because they run across us,” she said, adding that three soldiers had already fallen ill.
It remains unclear how far the infection has spread within the unit, currently stationed near Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine.
This is not the first time Russian forces have faced a virus outbreak. In 2023, Russian troops in Kharkiv reportedly saw a surge in cases, with Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate (GUR) claiming the virus was “mowing down” Kremlin forces “en masse”.
The Akhmat Battalion, active in Ukraine since shortly after the full-scale invasion, has been involved in the conflict while producing heavily stylised propaganda videos in support of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
The group has faced accusations of war crimes, including the torture of Ukrainian civilians, and has reportedly taken over roles previously carried out by the Wagner mercenary group.
There are currently no specific antiviral treatments for hantavirus. While vaccines exist, they are only approved in South Korea and China and target particular strains.