- Ukrainian soldiers in a bloody fight with Russian troops are not seeking care for their mental health.
- And those that do get care are often right back into combat, The Washington Post reports.
- Over a year in, Russia’s war in Ukraine is getting bloodier as conflict continues in eastern regions.
Ukrainian troops are not leaving the front lines, where casualties are high and Russian reinforcements just keep coming, to seek care for a range of mental health issues, and those that do quickly find themselves back in the fight. Soldiers on the lines report suffering from nightmares, trauma, stress, insomnia, and guilt.
According to The Washington Post, Ukrainian forces have largely remained in combat despite experiencing severe mental health issues. While some are able to seek treatment or see their families, they are almost immediately sent back into combat. Others are reluctant to leave the line to get care in the first place.
Some Ukrainian troops said there’s a comparative lack of reinforcements available to replace them, especially as Russia continues to throw troops and Wagner Group members into battle, exhausting Ukrainian manpower.
Mental health discussions are still considered taboo in Ukraine, especially for soldiers, The Post reported. This leaves soldiers on the front lines, even as they suffer post-traumatic stress and trauma, unwilling to talk about their mental health. “It’s a pain and a suffering you bestow upon someone else,” a soldier told The Post.
For some soldiers, nightmares about the horrors of war leave them coping with panic attacks and poor sleep. Others are ridden with survivor’s guilt as they mourn fallen comrades.
One Ukrainian service member, The Post reported, has nightmares of his tank commander who was burned alive, while another has terrifying dreams of stepping on another land mine and losing his other leg.
In February, Ukraine’s government said more than 60% of its soldiers are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders, according to Euronews, and the World Health Organization estimates that one of every four Ukrainians, or around 10 million people, may suffer mental health issues because of the war.
Those staggering statistics are partially due to strained medical services and hospitals where physical injuries take priority, The Post reported.
One year into the war, the conflict has stalled in the eastern Donbas region. It’s the site of some of the worst fighting yet. In late February, Insider reported that the average life expectancy of soldiers along those eastern front lines, dubbed “the meat grinder,” was about four hours.
