Ukrainian soldiers last about a month on frontline positions; lack of water is the top stressor
Ukraine's Office of the Military Ombudsperson surveyed 1,616 soldiers and found that 60% show signs of exhaustion after a month on a frontline position. The worst stressor is not shelling but the lack of water and supplies.
Ukraine's Office of the Military Ombudsperson, a state body that represents service members' rights, has published a study on conditions at frontline positions during the war with Russia. It found that most soldiers can hold one position for about a month before they begin to break down. After the first month, 60% of respondents report signs of exhaustion; by day 60, it is eight in ten. The study also points to a shortage of trained reserves, which leaves many soldiers on the same ground longer than is effective, sometimes for months without relief.
What the study covered
The survey was carried out in June and July 2026 and included 1,616 soldiers and 174 commanders at company, battalion and brigade levels. The office concluded that after 60 days a position stops being a combat mission and becomes "survival while waiting for rotation." It also reviewed 853 complaints about long deployments, submitted by soldiers and their families between January and September, with an average deployment length of 115 days.
Water as the main burden
The most stressful factor was not Russian fire but the lack of water: 83% of respondents called its impact critical, and 76% cited the absence of resupply. Soldiers also named not understanding the situation, comrades killed on or near the position, isolation, poorly built positions, being unable to leave cover and losing contact with commanders. Common symptoms were disrupted sleep, bursts of anger, constant anxiety and physical effects including muscle atrophy. One in five admitted that on position they thought they "wouldn't get out alive."
Consequences of long stints
After long deployments, 60% needed more than two weeks to recover, and one in four said they never fully did. The toll was heaviest among those left 180 days or more without rotation: in that group, 48.7% could not fully recover, 17.3% reported thoughts of self-harm, and 46.9% had thought of a wound as a way out.
The office said the findings call for an overhaul of psychological, tactical and medical training. Together with commanders, it has drafted a "Position Assessment Protocol" to limit how long troops are left on positions. The draft is now before the high command.
