If you know your history, then you should know that the enormous country of Russia has been invaded numerous times in the past, most famously by Napoleon and Hitler. Given the large size of Russia, invading the country is not easy. Past military campaigns made it their goal to invade the capital of Moscow in order to seize control of the entire country. However, this was easier said than done. Long story short–Moscow has never been invaded during modern times, unless you take insects into account, that is. Two different insect species have already invaded the country in massive swarms this year, but it is the most recent insect invasion that is making the country’s capital look as though it is undergoing an apocalyptic event.

Last July, Moscow was invaded by swarms of flying ants. Due to the city’s unusually hot weather at the time, winged ants gravitated to the region in order to commence their annual mating flights. The flying ants were a strange sight to Russians, who were not used to witnessing sun-blocking swarms of winged ants. Despite many freaked out citizens, Moscow City Hall’s Environmental Protection Department assured the nation’s press that the ants were harmless to humans. Just when Russian citizens thought that they had seen the last of odd insect-related anomalies, two different Russian cities, each located on opposite ends of the country, reported massive swarms of “blind mosquitoes” wreaking havoc among the populace. Unlike the winged ant swarms that had appeared a few months prior, these gnats are causing some injuries and health problems.

Both residents and visitors in the city of Taganrog on the Sea of Azov have posted pictures and video footage of the massive swarms on Facebook, and many people are responding in horror. This particular gnat species, Chironomidae, is known for causing breathing difficulties in humans, and the swarms are so thick that people are slipping on sidewalks that are caked with millions of slimy gnat corpses. Video footage showing vehicles swerving on roads slicked with gnat corpses have been posted on social media sites and featured on news stations. In the far east, the Republic of Sakha has seen millions of insects known as “water boatmen” raining down from the skies. According to experts, this city is located on a path taken by migrating aquatic insects, but this information has done little to calm the frightened populace.

Have you ever witnessed an odd and large scale insect invasion?