Ukrainian Intelligence Reports Alleged Cannibalism Among Russian Soldiers in Ukraine

Ukrainian military intelligence stated that Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine have engaged in cannibalism amid low food supplies in winter months. The reports include photographs and around a dozen intercepted audio transmissions from Telegram between senior Russian army officers.

Russia has rejected these allegations, with its Embassy in London describing them as fabrications produced by Ukrainian military intelligence. The intelligence sources reported at least five separate instances where Russian infantrymen allegedly ate their comrades.

These incidents reportedly occurred during deep winter when supply chains faced disruptions. The Sunday Times reported on the claims, noting questions about the mental health of those involved.

One case involves a soldier with the call sign Khromoy, who was reportedly caught after killing two fellow soldiers near Myrnohrad in the Donetsk region in November 2025. A Telegram conversation described Khromoy being found in a basement having cut off a victim's leg and appearing to attempt to eat it.

Analyzed images from the conversation were reviewed using AI detection software, which concluded they were not artificially generated or altered. An independent conflict surgeon who reviewed the photographs stated the injuries were inconsistent with blast or fragment wounds and appeared to have been made with a sharp knife.

In the conversation, a commander asked if troops were being properly fed, and an officer replied that soldiers were skinny and might soon start eating each other. Two other Telegram conversations described separate incidents. In one, a soldier complained about sharing a dugout with a comrade alleged to have eaten a corpse, citing his Muslim faith as a reason for objection.

In another, a unit commander ordered a subordinate to stop eating bodies of Ukrainian soldiers, stating he would have provided food if asked.

A message from the chief of staff of a motorised rifle brigade included an order prohibiting cannibalism, along with bans on alcohol, drugs, and moving without identity documents. Historical claims of cannibalism in wartime have been used as propaganda, and Russia characterized the current allegations in those terms.

Bradley Martin, a former U.S. naval captain and senior research fellow at the Rand Corporation, stated that reports of food supply issues for Russian infantry align with broader logistics concerns, noting that troop support is not a major priority for the Russian army.

Russian soldiers have complained of receiving expired rations or being left without supplies for weeks, with 2023 CCTV footage showing troops looting shops and homes for food. Military analyst Vikram Mittal stated that the harsh winter added strain to supply chains, with resupply vehicles vulnerable to Ukrainian drone attacks.

Ukraine has targeted Russian logistics networks using drones, including attacks on train depots and storage facilities in Crimea and Russia. A senior Ukrainian military source expressed surprise at the allegations, given Russia's agricultural resources, but acknowledged that urban fighting limited foraging options.

The Ukrainian project I Want To Live has recorded 10,000 Russian troops surrendering, mostly in the previous year. By the end of 2025, Russia had about 710,000 soldiers in Ukraine and plans to recruit 409,000 more in 2026, which analysts say pressures supply systems.

The Russian Embassy in London stated it saw no reason to comment further on the allegations.