A “catastrophic” outbreak of flu is reportedly spreading through Russian troops in Kherson, in another embarrassing blow to Vladimir Putin. Seasonal flu and respiratory issues are said to be plaguing Russian troops and decreasing the army’s manpower in Ukraine, according to the military partisan movement ATESH.

It said a “catastrophic surge” in illnesses is sweeping through the 127th Separate Reconnaissance Brigade and several other units. Soldiers are being forced to live in cold, damp conditions for months on end without proper medical care or heating, ATESH claimed.

The group added that commanders are ignoring these harsh conditions, which are only getting worse during winter, and ordering their troops to remain on the frontline.

Entire platoons have reportedly been transferred to field hospitals, but only when they reach critical condition, sometimes making effective treatment impossible.

ATESH slammed the Russian army for “criminal indifference” in the face of its dying personnel.

Shortages across the frontlines have affected supplies of warm clothes, food, and medicine, meaning it’s not just troops in Kherson that have been affected by illness, according to the group.

As winter approaches, the situation will “only get worse”, ATESH warned.

This comes on the heels of another humiliating blow for Putin, as the defence industry is reportedly on the verge of collapse.

The Kremlin has used financial incentives to entice men to fight in Ukraine, but some regions are now facing increasing budget debts and, in many cases, are no longer able to make the payments.

Authorities in Yakutia in Russia’s Far East have suspended payments to enlisted soldiers, with the region’s Finance Minister Ivan Alekseev confirming the move in a TV interview.

“Unfortunately, we really have this situation,” he explained.