"We Are Generally F***** Up": Russian Soldiers In Intercepted Calls

Russian soldiers fighting on the frontline in Ukraine have been complaining to their families that there is very less food and water for them, and the soldiers have been "allowed to be slaughtered", according to a report in The Guardian. It is based on calls these soldiers made to their families, which were intercepted by Ukrainian military. The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than 10 months and in the period, Russia has suffered significant losses and its forces have been forced to retreat from many areas. But the top leadership is determined to continue the assault and have even drafted reservists.

These soldiers are scared, according to the intercepts published by The Guardian in its report. One such phone call, intercepted on November 8, a soldier is heard telling his mother, "No one feeds us anything, mum. Our supply is shit, to be honest. We draw water from puddles, then we strain it and drink it."

He made the phone call using an unauthorised mobile phone, while on the frontline near the eastern Ukrainian city of Lyman.

"Where are the missiles that Putin boasted about?" he asked. "There is a high-rise building right in front of us. Our soldiers can't hit it. We need one Caliber cruise missile and that's it."

Her mother later told The Guardian that her son is not with her, and broke down in tears.

Also Read | Viral Before And After Photo From Ukraine's Mariupol Shows How City Has Changed Before Christmas

In another such conversation from November 6, a man is speaking to the colleagues of his son who had been killed.

"Reinforcements: no; communication: no. They said we weren't allowed to retreat. Otherwise, we may be shot," the soldiers told the man.

In third intercept, a Russian soldier in the Donetsk is heard telling his wife that he had fled with three other soldiers and was thinking about surrendering.

"I'm in a sleeping bag, all wet, coughing, generally f***** up. We were all allowed to be slaughtered," he said, according to The Guardian.

The long war has led to poor morale within the Russian military, and the large number of calls made by soldiers to their families show how desperate they are.