‘Extremely high’ number of ‘200,000’ Russian troop deaths in Ukraine war linked to alcohol abuse, Defense Ministry says
- Russia has suffered around 200,000 casualties since its invasion of Ukraine
- The Ministry of Defense affirms that a ‘minority’ is due to causes unrelated to combat
- A high number of deaths is linked to the alcohol consumption of Russian soldiers
The UK Ministry of Defense has suggested that an “extremely high” number of Russian troop deaths during the Ukraine war is linked to alcohol abuse.
Russian military forces are getting hurt as a result of mishandling weapons and excessive alcohol consumption, according to the ministry’s morning intelligence update.
Although Russia has suffered around 200,000 casualties since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago, the report says that “a significant minority of these have been due to non-combat causes.”
A Russian news channel Telegram reported on March 28 that there have been an “extremely high” number of alcohol-related incidents, crimes and deaths among deployed Russian troops.
Other probable causes of non-combat casualties included poor weapons drills, traffic accidents, and weather injuries such as hypothermia.
The UK Defense Ministry said an “extremely high” number of Russian troop deaths as part of the Ukraine war is linked to alcohol abuse. Pictured: Russian military on patrol in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on May 18, 2022
However, the Defense Ministry said Russian commanders presumably identify widespread alcohol abuse as particularly detrimental to combat effectiveness.
They added: “However, with binge drinking pervasive in much of Russian society, it has long been seen as a tacitly accepted part of military life, even in combat operations.”
This follows recent reports that Vladimir Putin’s commanders are forcing his conscripted soldiers at gunpoint to stay on the front lines using a brutal Stalin tactic.
The soldiers appealed to Putin in the hope that their revelations would surprise him; however, all the evidence is that he approves of these ‘meat grinder’ tactics.
In a new video where Russian reservist recruits appealed directly to Vladimir Putin, the The men said they have a choice: stay on the front lines and have a slim chance of survival, or withdraw and face a bullet to the head, from their fellow Russians in Putin’s “withdrawal blocking detachments.”
They said: ‘Withdrawal blockade detachments were mounted against us and they did not let us out of position.’
The soldiers talked about how Russian state media, controlled by Putin, lie about alleged successes in the war.
“We are in danger,” the men say in pictures from near the front.
A Russian news channel Telegram reported on March 28 that there have been an “extremely high” number of alcohol-related incidents, crimes and deaths. In the photo: a Russian soldier guarding an area in the Kherson region on May 20, 2022
According to figures released by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces last month, the number of Russian casualties in Vladimir Putin’s invasion has exceeded 150,000.
This means that the total number of Russian deaths in Ukraine is likely to have exceeded all deaths in 16 of the nation’s military actions since World War II.
In early January, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff (CGS), General Valery Gerasimov, personally assumed command of the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine.
While his reign was marked by the goal of extending Russian control over the entire Donbas region, it became apparent more than a month later that this project had failed.
In several axes along the Donbas front, Russian forces have made only marginal gains at the cost of tens of thousands of casualties, largely squandering their temporary advantage in personnel gained from the autumn “partial mobilization,” according to reports. recent from the Ministry of Defence.