Several Russian soldiers fighting in eastern Ukraine have been accused of cannibalism (IMAGE: X)
UKRAINE RUSSIA WAR: Several Russian soldiers have been accused of cannibalism in eastern Ukraine as a result of alleged food shortages this winter. The Ukrainian Military Intelligence (HUR) has provided The Sunday Times with evidence, including photos and audio conversations purportedly between Russian officers. An intelligence source told the publication that there were at least five instances in which Russian infantrymen were reportedly claimed by their fellow soldiers and officers to have cannibalised their comrades.
One such incident allegedly took place in November 2025 near Myrnohrad in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk. The documents say that a Russian infantryman, code name Khromoy, from a motor rifle unit of the 51st Combined Arms Army, allegedly shot dead two comrades and tried to eat part of a corpse.
An unnamed officer is said to have reported the incident to his superiors via Telegram and sent photos, including one of a severed leg. The report states forensic experts found no evidence of photo manipulation. One military surgeon who examined the material said the injuries appeared to have been inflicted with a sharp object and not as a result of battle.
In voice messages, the officer said the soldier had been caught cutting up body parts in a basement. He was later shot dead after shooting at soldiers who tried to arrest him. The officer added that the soldiers were on “starvation rations”. Other intercepted messages also refer to similar instances and instructions prohibiting cannibalism, alcohol and drugs.
Late last week, following pictures of emaciated Ukrainian soldiers being posted on social media, the General Staff said supply routes in the Kharkiv region around Kupyansk have been severely hit by Russian attacks on bridges.
Soldiers are now supplied by boats and heavy drones, it said, adding that this is dangerous and limited.
A Telegram chat shows an officer telling Lieutenant Razikov Vladislav Abdulkhalykovych, the deputy commander of the brigade’s recon battalion, about a case of cannibalism. The officer didn’t just describe what happened; he also sent several images. One was a graphic photo, and the others showed a soldier who looked severely malnourished. The Times says AI detection tools checked the images and found no signs of digital editing. A conflict surgeon who examined the photo added that the injuries didn’t look like the usual wounds from battlefield explosions.
Other Telegram messages mention similar incidents. In one dated April 3 last year, a soldier with the call sign Most complained about sharing a dugout near Bakhmut with another serviceman: “If he were a human being, he could stay here as long as he liked, but he ate a corpse, human meat,” he said. “I’m a Muslim. I don’t want someone like that coming into my shelter.”
Then there’s a message from October 2025 where a unit commander near Pokrovsk scolded one of his men. “If you had said something, I would have told you where to go, where to get meat,” the commander said, then added, “Why the f**k are you eating Khokhols… Stop f**king eating people. “
The eight-month executive programme is designed to help managers apply AI and Generative AI with…
AAP hits back at Raghav Chadha over ‘toxic workplace’ claim, ‘You are even married…’ remark…
DC vs RCB IPL 2026: Despite joining the Delhi Capitals squad last week, Mitchell Starc…
