Tuberculosis in the Russian Army: Soldiers at the Front Despite Being Ill

Daily Wrap Tuberculosis in the Russian Army: Soldiers at the Front Despite Being Ill Edyta Tomaszewska • 1 day • 2 minutes read Tuberculosis epidemic in the Russian Army. The Russian Army is facing a serious problem: tuberculosis is rampant among the soldiers. Instead of being treated, those affected are being sent to the front. But how did this epidemic spread? The independent Russian service Toczka brought this case to light. According to journalists, the Burdenko Hospital in Pushkino, Moscow Region, is completely overcrowded. Most of the patients are soldiers infected with tuberculosis. Reportedly, over a thousand service members are being treated there. The service Toczka tells of a specific case: 38-year-old Yevgeny, who has been at war since 2022 and previously suffered from tuberculosis. Initially, his superiors refused to accept him as a hospital patient. The soldier begged for an examination for three months. The leadership didn't respond to the complaints. They said, "You're a coward, you just don't want to go on a mission," TVP Info quoted Toczka as saying. When Yevgeny was finally diagnosed, he was sent to the Burdenko Hospital for four months. There was overcrowding, so they introduced a strict regime. Anyone who started drinking alcohol was simply dismissed. Anyone who broke the rules showed they didn't want to be treated and was automatically sent to the front, Yevgeny reports. Yevgeny believes that tuberculosis became rampant when prisoners from the gulags were recruited into the army. Tuberculosis is widespread in penal colonies. These prisoners mainly joined the so-called Wagner group. The Russian Ministry of Defense has officially banned Wagner fighters from recruiting prisoners and tuberculosis patients. However, in practice, this is often ignored due to severe shortages at the front.