Fact Check: Did Boar Ambush Russian Saboteurs Near Chernobyl Nuclear Plant?

Russian forces have reportedly suffered a series of severe setbacks in the past month, with claims from Ukraine that it killed hundreds of troops and destroyed valuable equipment.

Figures released by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Thursday said that Russia lost 1,330 military personnel in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of Russian casualties since the February 24, 2022, invasion to 315,620. Newsweek has not independently verified the figures. Estimates of casualty numbers vary, with Kyiv's figures usually exceeding those of its Western allies.

However, a more unexpected threat was written about this week, with reports sourced from social media that a boar attacked Russian saboteurs in the north of Ukraine, leaving one person dead.

The Claim

A translation of an article by Ukrainian news site Dialog.ua, published on November 14, 2023, said: "Ukrainian patriotic boar neutralized Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group on the border with Belarus.

"Not far from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a wild boar contributed to the death of a Russian intelligence officer.

"Near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group, having left the territory of Belarus, encountered a herd of wild boars. But since the Russians could not shoot at the animals, so as not to give themselves away, they rushed to run.

"One of the 'patriotic' boars still caught up with the Russian serviceman. As a result of a collision with a ferocious animal, the occupant fell and hit his head on a stone."

The Facts

The claim is based on a post by the Russian Telegram channel kremlin_secrets. A translation of that post said: "A small sabotage group of our military from the territory of Belarus penetrated into the so-called Exclusion Zone, bypassing control and observation posts.

"At some point, the group walked through the forest and encountered a herd of wild boars that live there.

"It was not possible to shoot at the animals, since the loud sounds of shots could give away the scouts.

"Alas, the boars managed to catch up with one of the military men. After a collision with one of the animals, the military man fell unsuccessfully and hit his head on a stone. Died on the spot."

The Telegram post also alleged that it "planned sabotage in the Chernobyl zone."

"Whether this is connected with the functioning of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which was closed more than 20 years ago, is not yet clear."

The channel, kremlin_secrets, otherwise known as "Kremlin Snuff Box," has been cited in credible reports elsewhere. In September 2023, it was cited by conflict analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which credited it with publishing an insider claim of Russian President Vladimir Putin giving Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu a month to stop Ukrainian counteroffensives and regain the initiative to launch an offensive against a large city.

While Russian troops took control of the infamous nuclear site in 2022, it has since returned to Ukrainian hands.

Ukraine has claimed to have dealt with saboteur groups in the north of the country recently. In August 2023, Reuters reported claims that Ukraine had stopped Russian saboteur groups from crossing its border in the Chernihiv region.

In a message on Telegram, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote: "Last night, in the Chernihiv region, border guards stopped an attempt by an enemy saboteur-reconnaissance group to cross the state border of Ukraine within the Semenivka community."

At face value, the claim is entirely plausible. The site of the Chernobyl plant and its surrounding land exploded with wildlife following the 1986 nuclear disaster, with populations of boar, among other species, soaring. Boars, according to National Parks, may attack if they are cornered, feel threatened or are provoked into protecting their young.

Unlike other stories sourced from anonymous Russian Telegram channels, such as Putin dying behind closed doors, there's no fantastical detail or embellishment here, either, although it's not clear or explained why saboteurs were reportedly at the Chernobyl site.

However, without any further information that would help verify the claim, we cannot say whether it's true.

The Ruling

Unverified.

Saboteur groups have reportedly targeted the north of Ukraine recently and a healthy boar population exists near the Chernobyl nuclear plant site. The rumor's original claimant, an anonymous Telegram channel called kremlin_secrets, has been cited by credible military intelligence analysts elsewhere as a source of Kremlin insider information.

The story itself is entirely plausible at face value and does not include fanciful embellishments or far-fetched scenarios, characteristic of some other anonymous Russian Telegram channels. However, there is no other information or evidence to support the claim that a boar attacked a saboteur group beyond the story itself.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.