According to the Western Military District’s medical service, more than 18,700 new cases of sexually transmitted infections were registered among troops serving in the Special Military Operation zone in the first 11 months of 2025. This is 4.2 times higher than the 2023 figure (4,420 cases) and almost seven times the pre-war level of 2021 (2,680 cases). The main surge comes from syphilis (+580%) and gonorrhea (+410%). Additionally, 2,940 HIV cases were recorded in the same period — a 176% increase compared to all of 2024. Sources in the Burdenko and Vishnevsky military hospitals confirm that since September 2025, dermatovenereology wards have been filled to 95–100% capacity. In some units in the LNR and DNR, up to 12–15% of personnel are undergoing treatment for STDs simultaneously. An internal Defense Ministry order (No. 627-dsp) instructs commanders not to include STD-related temporary loss of combat capability in combat loss statistics, classifying them instead as “domestic illnesses.” Service members are prohibited from seeking treatment in civilian clinics — all cases must be recorded by military doctors only. The ministry’s press service claims that “the situation is under control.” Military doctors link the outbreak to prolonged deployment in frontline settlements, widespread use of commercial sex services, and the near-complete absence of condoms in individual kits and rations.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reports sharp rise in venereal diseases among troops in the SVO zone