Rampant tuberculosis plagues Russian military ranks
The Russian military is facing a grave issue: tuberculosis is rampant among Putin's forces. Soldiers are not receiving treatment and are instead being deployed to the front lines. How did this epidemic spread?
The issue was highlighted by independent Russian outlet Tochka. According to journalists, the Burdenko Hospital in the town of Pushkino, in the Moscow region, is under immense strain. The hospital predominantly treats soldiers suffering from tuberculosis, with reports of over a thousand personnel receiving care.
The Tochka service details the case of 38-year-old Yevgeny, who has been fighting since 2022. He had previously suffered from tuberculosis. Initially, his superiors were unwilling to consider hospitalising him, and for three months, he pressed for the chance to be examined.
- The command ignored complaints, dismissing them by saying: you're a coward, you just don't want to go on a mission - TVP Info reports the Tochka service as saying.
After finally being diagnosed, Yevgeny was admitted to Burdenko Hospital for four months.
- Overcrowding led to a strict regime. Those caught drinking alcohol were simply expelled. Anyone breaking the rules was deemed uninterested in treatment and automatically sent back to the front - Yevgeny clarifies.
The 38-year-old reports that tuberculosis spread widely when prisoners from the gulags were recruited into the Russian army. Tuberculosis is prevalent in penal colonies, and prisoners were mainly sent to join the so-called Wagner Group.
Despite the official stance of the Russian Ministry of Defence banning Wagner from recruiting prisoners and those with tuberculosis, this policy is often disregarded due to significant shortages at the front.
