Lauge Risom Koch 
Ukrainian intelligence claims intercepted communications reveal Russian troops near Zaporizhzhia suffered mass alcohol poisoning amid broader reports of collapsing discipline and morale.
Ukrainian intelligence says intercepted communications suggest Russian soldiers operating near the Zaporizhzhia front suffered heavy losses linked to alcohol poisoning.
The reports add to broader claims of worsening discipline and declining morale inside some Russian frontline units.
Intercepted communications
According to United24Media, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency HUR released intercepted audio allegedly involving Russian servicemen discussing the deaths.
The recording was published on Facebook by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence on May 20.
HUR claimed the incident involved personnel from Russia’s 166th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade operating near Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In the intercepted exchange, one soldier described multiple troops dying after consuming poisoned alcohol at an observation post.
Bodies left behind
According to United24Media, one serviceman in the recording claimed between eight and ten bodies remained at the position for several days without evacuation.
“And ours and the allies were neatly laid out, covered with sleeping bags,” the voice in the recording said.
The authenticity of the intercepted communication has not been independently verified.
Russian authorities have not publicly commented on the claims.
Discipline concerns
The reported poisoning comes during wider allegations of alcohol abuse among Russian troops in the region.
According to United24Media, the Ukrainian partisan movement ATESH claimed Russia’s 108th Air Assault Brigade had fallen into what it described as a “critical state” linked to widespread drinking.
“The so-called ‘100 grams’ have become liters, and the brigade has turned into a hub of alcoholism,” ATESH said in a statement.
The group also alleged that some newly arrived soldiers had died from consuming low-quality or surrogate alcohol products.
Morale issues
ATESH further claimed morale among Russian forces along the Kupiansk front had sharply deteriorated.
According to the group, an embedded source within Russia’s 1st Tank Army described the psychological condition of troops as critical after years of sustained combat.
The partisan movement said prolonged battlefield pressure and mounting casualties were contributing to growing instability within frontline units.
Sources: United24Media, HUR Ukraine, ATESH
