Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) has reported that more than 600 Russian soldiers have died in Russia’s Central Military District since 2024 from non-combat causes, including drug use, poor living conditions, and suicide.
In a statement released this week, HUR said the deaths were linked to “unsanitary conditions, alcoholism, and narcotics abuse” among personnel. The agency claimed that at least 71 suicides were recorded in 2024 and that a further 86 have been reported in the first half of 2025. It also alleged that 32 soldiers died from food poisoning and 112 from drug overdoses so far this year.
HUR described the situation as evidence of declining morale within Russia’s military.
Last month, Russia’s plan to replenish its occupation forces in Ukraine stalled, particularly in some of the country’s poorest and most remote regions, including the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), according to HUR.
HUR, citing internal documents from Russia’s Ministry of Defense, alleged that recruitment efforts across parts of Russia, particularly in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), are falling short of Kremlin targets. According to HUR, enlistment centers in the region have reportedly failed to meet around 40% of their quotas.
According to HUR, the shortfall underscores mounting discontent among residents and growing fatigue from the war, now entering its fourth year.
The HUR report said another major factor behind the recruitment crisis is high casualty rates among local populations – particularly among indigenous ethnic groups such as the Yakuts, Evenki, and Evens, who increasingly refuse to fight and die for Moscow’s interests.
A similar pattern, the agency added, is being observed across other Far Eastern regions of Russia, where motivation to sign military contracts remains extremely low, despite state propaganda and promises of financial incentives.