Russia Sounds Alarm Over People Drinking Dead Vermin

As thousands of young Russians continue to be snatched up and sent to kill and die in neighboring Ukraine, Russia’s federal consumer protection agency had an urgent warning Tuesday to those who remain in the country: stop using dead mole-rats to make booze. Rospotrebnadzor issued the bizarre warning on the agency’s official Telegram channel, saying it felt compelled to respond to an ongoing social media “debate” about an alcoholic drink made using “the carcass of a dead mole.” The agency appeared to be unwittingly responding to a meme about drinking dead mole rats that Russian social media users said perfectly encapsulated their feelings about the outgoing year. Apparently oblivious to the joke, Rospotrebnadzor said it had consulted experts to get the final verdict on the demented drink. “It must be remembered that moles are very often infected with worms,” the agency said, adding that the animals often carry “external parasites” and “dangerous infections” for humans. “Consuming products like the mole [drink] can be deadly or cause disability,” the agency said.