BY: News Peddlers
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| Destroyed Russian tanks [Image credit: AFP] |
Excessive alcohol consumption has been the cause of many deaths among Russian forces in Ukraine, according to the British Defence Ministry in its regular update on the war on Sunday.
"While Russia has suffered up to 200,000 casualties since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine," the report said, "a significant minority of these have been due to non-combat causes."
It cited a recent Russian Telegram news channel report of "extremely high" numbers of incidents, crimes, and deaths among Russian forces linked to alcohol consumption.
"However, with heavy drinking prevalent throughout much of Russian society, it has long been seen as a tacitly accepted part of military life, even on combat operations," according to the report.
Other leading causes of non-combat casualties, according to the ministry, are poor road conditions and hypothermia.
According to the report, Russian commanders likely identified widespread alcohol abuse as a detriment to combat effectiveness.
Since the beginning of the invasion, the ministry has issued daily updates based on information from its intelligence services.
Moscow regards the reports as false.
(dpa/NAN)