Russian military grapples with tuberculosis crisis among troops
The Russian military is facing a serious issue. Putin's army is being overwhelmed by tuberculosis. Soldiers are not receiving proper treatment; instead, they are being sent directly to the front line. How did the epidemic spread?
The issue was brought to light by, among others, the independent Russian service Tochka. According to journalists, the Burdenko hospital in the town of Pushkino, in the Moscow region, is bursting at the seams. The hospital primarily accommodates soldiers suffering from tuberculosis. Reportedly, over a thousand military personnel are being treated there.
The Tochka service provides the example of 38-year-old Yevgeny, who has been fighting in the war since 2022. The man had previously suffered from tuberculosis. Initially, his commanders refused to consider his hospitalization. For three months, the soldier insisted on being examined.
- The command did not respond to complaints. They said: you're a coward, you just don't want to go on a mission - TVP Info cites the Tochka service.
When the soldier finally received a diagnosis, he was sent to the Burdenko hospital for four months.
- Due to overcrowding, a strict regime was implemented. Those who started drinking alcohol were simply dismissed. If someone broke the rules, it meant they did not want to be treated and they were automatically sent back to the front - Yevgeny explains.
According to the 38-year-old, tuberculosis began to spread rapidly when prisoners from the gulags were recruited into the Russian army. Tuberculosis is a very common disease in penal colonies. Prisoners were mainly sent to the so-called Wagner Group.
Even though the Russian Ministry of Defence officially banned the Wagnerites from recruiting prisoners and those with tuberculosis, in practice, due to significant shortages on the front, this is often overlooked.
