Russians are selling zebras from "Askania-Nova" nature reserve: animals are caught to order, – media reports. PHOTO
The occupiers and their collaborators have turned the Ukrainian "Askania-Nova" Biosphere Reserve in the temporarily occupied Kherson region into a hub for illegal business. Advertisements have appeared on Russian online platforms offering rare zebras for sale, which the sellers promise to capture directly within the reserve.
This is reported in an investigation by URSA.MEDIA, according to Censor.NET.
Details
Journalists carried out an experiment, attempting to contact traders in stolen animals via representatives of the occupying "administration" and popular Russian marketplaces.
In October 2025, the investigators managed to make contact with a seller offering "exclusive live stock" – zebras. Correspondence with him lasted several months. During this time, the price of the exotic animal rose significantly: from 2 to 3 million roubles.
The seller openly assured them that the animals were not bred in captivity, but were captured to specific orders directly at ‘Askania-Nova’.
According to investigators, the deputy to the occupying "director" of the nature reserve is directly behind this scheme and the communications with potential buyers.
