UK Defense Ministry: Russian commanders find alcohol abuse 'particularly detrimental' to combat effectiveness

While Russia has suffered up to 200,000 casualties since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, only a few have been due to non-combat causes, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on April 2.

The ministry said the deaths linked to alcohol consumption, poor weapon handing drills, road traffic accidents, and climatic injuries such as hypothermia are the leading non-combat casualties amongst Russian deployed forces.

“Russian commanders likely identify pervasive alcohol abuse as particularly detrimental to combat effectiveness,” the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote in its latest intelligence update.
However, the update shows heavy drinking has been seen as a tacitly accepted part of military life, even in combat operations.

Russia had lost 174,550 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 last year, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.

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