Russian troops are dying in Ukraine due to heavy alcohol consumption, poor weapons handling, and hypothermia, UK intel says

• Russian troops are dying in Ukraine due to incidents linked to alcohol consumption, the UK MoD says.
• Heavy drinking is tacitly accepted by the military, even in combat operations, it said.
• The ministry estimated that Russia has suffered up to 200,000 casualties since the war began.

Many Russian troops are dying in Ukraine because of non-combat issues such as alcohol consumption and poor weapons handling drills, the UK defense ministry said in an intelligence update on Sunday.

The ministry estimated that Russia has suffered up to 200,000 casualties since its invasion of Ukraine over a year ago and that a "significant minority" has not been due to the fighting.