‘I was fighting two wars’: Ukraine’s soldiers confront their addiction struggles

Troops frequently use substances to help cope with untreated PTSD and anxiety, producing a negative spiral Seven years clean, Oleksandr believed he had left addiction behind. Then, a year into fighting Russia, the Ukrainian soldier was prescribed painkillers for a shoulder injury. Under the strain of war, he relapsed and quickly began using stronger illicit opioids. “From that moment, I was fighting two wars – one inside myself and one with Russia,” he said, speaking at a rehabilitation faci...

By Pjotr Sauer in Kyiv Photographs by Julia Kochetova