‘Fighters Are Losing Consciousness from Hunger’: MoD Responds to Viral Images of Exhausted Ukrainian Troops

The photos, shared by an anonymous account on Threads, show four Ukrainian soldiers – gaunt, hollow-eyed, and visibly exhausted. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Photo collage reportedly showing starving troops from the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of Ukraine’s 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade. (i.petrovna / Threads) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Ukraine’s military rushed to respond after disturbing images of starving front-line troops spread rapidly online, highlighting what officials say is an extreme situation on one of the toughest parts of the battlefield. The photos, shared by an anonymous account on Threads , show four Ukrainian soldiers – gaunt, hollow-eyed, and visibly exhausted. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . They are reported to be fighters from the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of Ukraine’s 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade. The post spread rapidly, triggering alarm and demands for answers. “The guys are on the positions without food or water. Command isn’t responding. The fighters are losing consciousness from hunger, drinking rainwater. There are also problems with communication,” the account wrote. Within hours, the Ministry of Defense said the situation had been flagged and that the brigade commander had taken personal control. “Logistics are complicated, but we are working to fix supply issues and rotate the troops,” the ministry said . “This should not happen – but conditions on some parts of the front are extremely difficult.” The exact location has not been disclosed. The ministry said this is not about negligence, but about the difficult reality on certain stretches of the front, where even basic resupply missions can turn deadly. Food and water are often delivered on foot or via small drones – both vulnerable to Russian fire, including artillery and FPV drones. As the front line shifts, routes that were safe one day can become kill zones the next. Other Topics of Interest 9 out of 10 Ukrainian Defense Firms Get Global Cooperation Requests Global demand for Ukraine’s combat-proven weaponry is surging as 90% of Ukrainian def-tech companies have received proposals to cooperate, a new survey shows. Under relentless pressure, commanders are forced into trade-offs: ammunition takes priority, while food and water can fall behind due to limited capacity. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.