'We're drinking our own urine': Ukrainian soldiers near Zaporizhzhia go weeks without food or water

Ukrainian troops holding positions in Zaporizhzhia region have reported a critical shortage of food and drinking water lasting nearly four months. The account comes from a unit commander identified by Ukrainian media as Anatoliy Sashchuk (some reports refer to him as Lieutenant Syshchuk), according to the Unian news agency.

"We've been at combat positions in Zaporizhzhia region for almost four months now. We're living in shelters because all our positions have been destroyed. We regularly go three to seven days without food or drinking water," the officer said. In a video that has since spread across social media, he admitted in despair: "Because of the situation, we drink our own urine until something is airdropped to us." He said the command had promised the mission would last only a month, with supplies delivered by drone.

Accusations against the command

In an appeal to Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, the officer accused senior leadership of lying to soldiers' families, who had been assured the unit was fully supplied — while the troops themselves could barely stand due to lack of food and water.

According to the soldiers, water deliveries sometimes take up to 12 days to arrive, and food is brought in only once or twice a week — often spoiled, including moldy bread and rotten, inedible products. Necessary medical supplies also arrive with delays.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, the unit intends to abandon its positions at the first opportunity, without waiting for relief troops. The officer asked the command to secure a safe corridor for the soldiers' withdrawal. "We're not refusing to serve, but we have no other choice. None of the authorities we've turned to have helped us. You are our only hope," he concluded.

Brigade acknowledges difficult situation

Command of the 121st Brigade confirmed the difficult situation in the area but denied claims of a supply shortage. "The unit is carrying out combat tasks in a complex and dynamic sector of the front. The information presented reflects only a fragment of a complicated operational situation and does not provide a full picture of the measures being taken. Over the past month, about 240 kilograms of food supplies have been delivered to the position," the brigade's command said in a statement posted on Facebook.

The brigade also assured that the unit's rotation would take place as soon as the security situation allows, in order not to expose personnel to critical risk during movement.

This is not the first such scandal to hit the Ukrainian army. In April, soldiers from the 14th Territorial Defense Brigade made public a similar situation, accusing their command of leaving them at positions without food or water. At the time, the brigade commander was removed from his post and demoted by then-Chief of the General Staff Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz