Russian Troops Facing 'Mental Health Crisis'—UK

Russian troops are facing a mental health crisis caused by their military's failure to provide adequate rest and rotation from the war zone, Britain's defense ministry has said.

Reports have emerged that soldiers drafted to fight in Ukraine under President Vladimir Putin's 2022 partial mobilization are being prohibited from leaving service.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense pointed out on Wednesday that Russian psychologists had identified approximately 100,000 military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in December 2022.

That number is almost certainly higher now, the ministry said in its daily intelligence assessment, as the Russian military fails to provide sufficient rotation and recuperation from the battlefield.

Defense officials said the problem had been highlighted by multiple Russian commanders, including Major-General Ivan Popov who was relieved of his command in July.

"There are additional indications that doctors in Russia are sending military personnel who are unfit to fight to the front," U.K. officials said.

"Appeal claims against Russian military medical commissions are higher in 2023 than they were in 2022, with many cases denied or claims abandoned."

The intelligence assessment concluded: "With a lack of care for its soldiers' mental health and fitness to fight, Russia's combat fighting effectiveness continues to operate at sub-optimal levels."

The RAND Corporation, an American think tank and research institute, said in a report in June that Russian personnel fighting in Ukraine had not been allowed to leave the military since Putin's partial mobilization decree in September 2022. None would be permitted to leave until the "period of partial mobilization" is ended by another decree, it added.

"Currently, the only ways out—apart from death in combat—are reaching mandatory retirement age, medical discharge or imprisonment. Some soldiers have taken matters into their own hands by deserting," the think tank said.

"Indefinite deployment and inadequate rest and rotation, due to a shortage of soldiers, mean that Russian soldiers endure prolonged exposure to combat stress, which intensifies feelings of resentment and helplessness."

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

The grinding war is also taking a toll on Ukrainians' mental health, the World Health Organization has found. The WHO said in February that nearly 10 million Ukrainians may have mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, and almost 4 million may have moderate or severe cases.

Ukraine's government said in February that 60 percent of its soldiers had PTSD.

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