"Surviving 17 Days on Rainwater Without Food"... Ukraine Shocked by Photos of Malnourished Soldiers

Senior Supply Commander Replaced Amid Controversy
Military Explains, "Supply Routes Blocked by Russian Drone Interception"

There has been shock over reports that Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines are suffering from malnutrition due to inadequate food supplies.

A Ukrainian soldier suffering from malnutrition due to lack of food supply. Screenshot from Polish public broadcaster TVP YouTube channel.

On April 24 (local time), foreign media outlets including The Guardian reported that the wife of a Ukrainian soldier recently shared photos of frontline soldiers on social networking services (SNS). The published photos showed soldiers so emaciated that their ribs were clearly visible.

The woman who released the photos emphasized, "When they arrived at the front, the soldiers weighed over 80 to 90 kg, but now they are down to about 50 kg." She explained, "The longest period they endured without food was 17 days," and added, "The soldiers had no choice but to drink rainwater and melted snow to survive." She pleaded, "My husband is saying he has nothing to eat or drink," and stressed, "This is not just my husband's problem."

It is reported that the soldiers in the released photos have been defending the Kupiansk region, the front line of the Russia–Ukraine war, for eight months. As the controversy grew, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that it had replaced the senior commander responsible for food supply. The military admitted there had been issues with supply and explained, "This occurred because the soldiers' station was nearby."

A military spokesperson stated, "All supplies are delivered by drone, but Russia is intercepting and shooting them down." He added, "It seems Russia is more interested in supply goods than in our military equipment."

Meanwhile, the Russia–Ukraine war, which began with Russia's invasion in 2022, has now entered its fourth year. Peace negotiations between the two countries have effectively stalled since the outbreak of the Iran war. On April 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, "Steve Whitkoff, the U.S. special envoy leading the negotiating team, and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, are currently unable to focus on the Ukraine issue as they are engaged in negotiations with Iran," lamenting, "The diplomatic momentum to end the war in Ukraine is weakening." President Zelensky also appealed, "Ukraine has already suffered too great a tragedy to simply put the issue off until later."

However, on April 24, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 193 prisoners of war. Regardless of the peace negotiations, the two countries also exchanged 175 prisoners each on April 11.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.