Research results have emerged indicating that the rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among Russian soldiers has increased explosively since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
On the 1st (local time), according to Ukrainian media Kyiv Independent, the report 'Carnegie Politika' published by the Carnegie Foundation's Russia-Eurasia Center analyzed this by quoting data from the Ministry of National Defense of Russia.
According to the report, the rate of HIV infections among Russian soldiers increased by 2000% since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
From the first quarter of 2022, when the Ukraine war broke out, to the fall of the same year, the number of new HIV infections confirmed increased fivefold compared to before the war, reaching 13 times by the end of that year, and 20 times in early 2024.
Factors contributing to the explosive increase in HIV infection rates in the Russian military included blood transfusions, the use of contaminated syringes in field hospitals, sexual contact, and sharing syringes for drug injections.
The report projected that the rising HIV infection rates could result in significant losses for Russia in the future.
The report noted that "the demographic and economic losses that Russia will experience due to (HIV) outbreaks will affect for decades and could ultimately surpass the losses incurred from the invasion of Ukraine."
HIV is the pathogen that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Not everyone who contracts HIV is an AIDS patient. An AIDS patient is a condition in which immune cells are destroyed due to HIV infection, leading to a decrease in immune function and the onset of various infections.