"While Russia has suffered up to 200,000 casualties since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a significant minority of these have been due to non-combat causes," the UK defence ministry said in its latest Intelligence Update on the Situation in Ukraine.
It cited a Russian Telegram news channel report of "extremely high" numbers of incidents, crimes, and deaths linked to alcohol consumption among Russian forces.
Other leading causes of Russian non-combat casualties in Ukraine include "poor weapon handing drills, road traffic accidents and climatic injuries such as hypothermia," the British defence ministry said.
Russian commanders have identified "pervasive alcohol abuse" as "particularly detrimental to combat effectiveness," according to the UK defence ministry.
"However, with heavy drinking pervasive across much of Russian society, it has long been seen as a tacitly accepted part of military life, even on combat operations," it also said.
Around 174,550 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine since Vladimir Putin invaded the country in February last year, according to Ukrainian military authorities.
Sunday is day 403 of Russia's war on Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, PAP, ukrinform.net