Russia is sending soldiers infected with HIV, hepatitis and other contagious diseases to the frontline as part of a desperate strategy to 'ultimately prevail', military analysts have warned.
Soldiers sporting red armbands to denote their medical conditions have been spotted around Pokrovsk, a town in eastern Ukraine and key stronghold that has recently come under intense assault by President Vladimir Putin's forces.
Experts believe the sighting of such armbands is proof of the worsening health of Putin's troops, with the number of HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis cases said to be soaring, The Telegraph reported.
All of these conditions can pose incredible risk in the context of war, not just to Russia's own troops - but also to Ukrainian soldiers.
Hepatitis, which causes inflammation of the liver and can be fatal, can be passed to another person through contact with infected blood - either through wounds or by touching a dead person's body or weapons.
