KEY POINTS

  • Russian soldiers in the occupied areas of Ukraine's Kherson region have started to eat dogs
  • The Russian army has no logistics and "simply can't deliver" rations
  • Russian soldiers previously looted grocery stores, took supplies from farms and begged for food in villages

Russian forces deployed in Ukraine have resorted to eating dogs due to problems with logistics, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

A Russian soldier stationed in the occupied parts of the Kherson region recounted the experience to a friend via text, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a statement.

"It's all f----d. [Ukrainians] are f-----g beating us like kids. We eat dogs, there's no food. Today we ate a Yorkie. A Yorkshire Terrier," the soldier was quoted as saying in a conversation the intelligence agency said it intercepted.

The Russian army has no logistics and "simply can't deliver" rations, which resulted in the lack of food, the soldier explained.

Russia, which began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, reportedly went to war with an under-supplied army.

Russian forces started to eat dogs over their MREs, or "Meal, Ready-to-Eat" rations, because they became "sick" of the latter, the SBU said in late March.

"Hungry" Russian soldiers were caught on camera looting grocery stores during the early stages of the invasion.

In another incident, they took food from a Ukrainian farm, claiming that they were "nationalizing" the supplies.

Some reportedly begged for food in Ukrainian villages.

Western sanctions on Russia "virtually wrecked" the country's trade logistics, Russian Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev revealed.

"The sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation today have virtually wrecked all the logistics in our country. And we are forced to look for new logistics corridors," Savelyev said.

Sanctions have blocked the world's three biggest shipping companies, MSC, Maersk and CMA CGM, from trading with Russia.

Russia will lift its blockade of Ukrainian ports and allow the passage of foreign vessels in exchange for sanctions relief from the international community, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said Thursday.

In response to Russia's attempt to bargain, the U.K. accused the Russian government of "weaponizing hunger" and attempting to "hold the world to ransom."

"It is completely appalling that [Russian President Vladimir Putin] is trying to hold the world to ransom and he's essentially weaponizing hunger and lack of food amongst the poorest people around the world," U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.

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Representation. A Russian soldier in the occupied areas of Ukraine's Kherson region had to eat a Yorkshire Terrier after logistics problems resulted in a lack of food. Josch13/Pixabay