In the Kremlin, Russian officials began to drink alcohol more actively because of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Putin's henchmen began drinking in the morning and often come to meetings drunk.

Writes about it The Telegraph.

According to journalists, citing its sources, the Kremlin has doubled the norm of wine for Russian officials to ease the stress of Ukraine's counteroffensive.

Sources told the émigré news site Verstka that Russian officials began sipping brandy throughout the day and appearing at meetings drunk and gloomy.

"Not everyone started their day with a glass of vodka, but now I know a lot more people who do. For some, the glass has turned into a bottle," Kremlin sources say.

Cases of drunkenness among Russian government officials have become especially frequent since March, when Ukraine began talking about a planned counteroffensive and Putin was wanted by the International Criminal Court.

The Kremlin recently increased the rate of wine at official banquets to two bottles per person. Narratives of excessive alcohol consumption among the elite echo reports that purchases of vodka and antidepressants skyrocketed after Putin ordered an invasion in Ukraine last year.

Meanwhile, Mikhail Murashko, Russia's health minister, urged the public to drink less after at least 36 people in central Russia died this month after consuming cider that was poisoned with methanol.

However, government officials show no signs of declining their own consumption, despite claims that they "miss or disrupt meetings, use illegal substances and attend events while intoxicated."

Dictator Putin has not yet applied himself to the bottle.

Recall that the Russian elite fears that because of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, political risks are growing for Putin.

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