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A prominent pro-Putin military commentator has sparked fresh debate inside Russia after claiming that frontline troops are still struggling to obtain the most basic clothing items.
For years, Russian soldiers have reported gaps in essential gear, according to multiple independent and state-aligned accounts.
Troops have described paying out of pocket for helmets, body armour and items normally issued by the state. Volunteer groups have regularly stepped in to purchase kit for units deployed near the front.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence has repeatedly faced criticism over these supply failures. Despite public assurances that stocks are improving, evidence of ongoing shortages has continued to surface.
The latest claims amplify concerns that systemic problems remain unresolved.
Podolyaka’s criticism
In an interview, the pro-Kremlin blogger Yuri Podolyaka said the army was still falling short on the most elementary provisions, including underwear, socks and standard uniforms.
“One thing that amazes me now is that..and I just don’t know how..but after three and a half years of war, can we really not centrally provide our army with socks and underpants?” he asked according to Express.
When the host questioned whether defence officials were aware of the problem, Podolyaka insisted they were, but argued they appeared unable to address it.
“A lot of things are like that,” he said, adding: “It should be clear by now but I’ve no idea why, it really stuns me.”
“This really does not impress,” the interviewer allegedly responded.
Sanctions strains military modernization
Socks and underwear are not the only things missing for the troops of the Russian army.
During the war, several reports of lacking supplies have emerged, and it challenges both the troops at the front as well as the military industry in Russia.
In Juli 2025, Catham House made an assessment of the Russian military industry, and they concluded that the Western sanctions combined with the demand for material for the war have exposed massive shortcomings in the Russian military industry.
“Despite Russia’s record levels of military spending, our research shows that the current state of its military industry is one of regression, contrary to what the Kremlin would have the world believe,” the author of the analysis wrote.
Soldiers sent to collect weapons from fallen
There has even been reports of Russian soldiers being sent into battle unarmed and without any armor as a form of punishment.
According to an investigation made by Verstka, the soldiers were told to pick up weapons and armor from their fallen comrades when advancing against the Ukrainian positions.
Influencer with a past
Podolyaka, originally from Ukraine, has become a central figure in Moscow’s information machine.
After Kremlin-backed forces seized areas in eastern Ukraine in 2014, he relocated to Russia and built a large audience through RuTube programmes and his Telegram channel, “The World Today with Yuri Podolyaka”.
He has repeatedly amplified the Kremlin’s narratives about the war, including claims that atrocities in Bucha were fabricated by Ukrainian authorities. Ukrainian officials accuse him of providing intelligence support to Russia’s military operations.
A Ukrainian court later convicted him in absentia of treason for aiding strikes on civilian infrastructure, sentencing him to 15 years.
Sources: Express, Catham House, Verstka
