“Some can neither sleep nor wake without alcohol”: Ukrainian officers speak about the scale of alcoholism in the Armed Forces

Up to 70% of Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) personnel consume small amounts of alcohol to help them sleep, but some have become so dependent that they cannot function without it.

This information reported according to company commander Dmytro in an interview.

“I think up to 70% of the personnel take about 50 grams [of alcohol], just to fall asleep peacefully. But drinking habits vary. One can take a shot, sleep well, and be ready for any task in the morning. Another can’t even get up without 100 grams. Those are the ones we have problems with because they drink as long as there’s something to drink—and there always is,” the company commander explained.

Oleh, the senior sergeant of the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, told reporters that in his observations, up to 80% of alcoholics in the UAF had drinking problems even before joining the army.

“There was an incident where I sent a trusted, reliable person to pick up supplies. Once, he brought parcels back from the post for the guys. There were no bottles of alcohol in the packages. Yet the guys got drunk. I checked their mineral water—and it turned out to be homemade moonshine so strong it burned like lubricant,” said Dmytro.

In another case, a platoon lieutenant was injured in the back during a battle after searching soldiers belongings for moonshine. He was thrown to the ground with a warning to “calm down.”

There was also an incident where three soldiers on a position became heavily intoxicated. Command became aware during radio communications and had to evacuate them under fire, replacing them with other soldiers. In some cases, those replacements were killed in action.

Previously, media reported that more than 1,000 soldiers have been convicted of drug possession during the war.

Gambling addiction is also prevalent in the UAF. One soldier told a Western publication that many Ukrainian servicemen spend their salaries in online casinos, take out loans to cover gambling debts, and sometimes even pawning military equipment.