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HIV Rates Among Russian Soldiers Surge 2,000% Since Start of Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine
- A July 30, 2025 report by the Carnegie Endowment revealed HIV cases among Russian soldiers surged 2,000% since the February 2022 Ukraine invasion.
- This surge follows Russia’s diversion of healthcare funds to military priorities and suspension of international HIV aid after the 2022 invasion.
- The Kremlin lowered health standards for recruits and many HIV-positive soldiers lack access to antiretroviral therapy, worsening frontline conditions.
- More than 1.2 million people in Russia are reported to be living with HIV, approximately 20% of new military recruits test positive, and the country experiences about 30,000 HIV-related deaths each year, primarily among working-age adults.
- The escalating HIV crisis risks demographic and economic damage that may outlast the conflict and reflects political barriers to care more than medical ones.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The number of HIV cases recorded among Russian soldiers has increased by 2,000% since Ukraine's widespread invasion in February 2022, showing a new report published by Carnegie Political. Explosive growth is based on both the risk of behaviour among the troops as well as on the political decisions of the Kremlin that have affected access to prevention and treatment, writes Kyiv Independent.
HIV infections among Russian soldiers have increased by 2,000 percent since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a new analysis by Carnegie Politics. The increase is attributed not only to unprotected sex and drug use, but also to the Kremlin's policy decisions and poor hygiene in field hospitals.
In Global Decline of HIV, Russia Stands Apart — Crisis Worsens Under War and Conservative Pressure
Russia’s escalating war expenditures are fueling a parallel public health crisis as critical HIV treatment and prevention programs are starved of resources, according to a July 30 report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The shift in budget priorities—driven by sustained military mobilization and defense spending—has directly impacted the country’s HIV epidemic, now the worst in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Officially, over …
Why are HIV rates are soaring among Russian soldiers?
HIV rates among Russian soldiers have increased at least 20 to 40 times since the Ukraine war began. There are myriad reasons for this including soldiers in life and death situations engaging in unprotected sex and injecting drugs via shared needles to relieve psychological stress. The lack of condoms and sterile equipment is also thought to be contributing to the increase. However, Russia as a whole also has a problem with HIV. Let’s take a clo…
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