If Vladimir Putin wants to know how things are going in Russia’s war with Ukraine, all he needs to do is talk to his soldiers. Or at least listen to their phone calls. That’s what Ukraine itself has been doing, and the stories are eye-opening.
Listening to the Frontline
During the first two weeks of July, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) intercepted 17 phone calls placed by Russian soldiers who were involved in the fighting within Ukraine’s borders.
An Ugly Picture
The picture the boots-on-the-ground troops paint is a bit different than the one Russian president Putin might want the world to see.
They Didn’t Pull Any Punches
Because, even though Ukraine’s counteroffensive has been something of a stalemate to this point, the Russian soldiers didn’t mince their words.
Ukraine Bringing the Hurt
In a call home to his wife, one soldier said that the Ukrainian army was “f***ing us up.”
Like an Old Soviet
He also said that he felt like he was on the front in World War II, where Soviet forces were left to fight largely with their wits.
Makeshift Weapons
The tapped-out soldier concluded by telling his wife that their weaponry was so depleted, he wondered if he should be using his fingers as mini-bayonets.
Not Getting What They Need
Some war experts think that the intercepts confirm the general perception that Putin is dumping his soldiers into situations without the proper support.
Tension Is Thick
Neil Melvin, the director of a British think tank that has been watching the war closely, subscribes to this theory.
He also thinks the situation is causing tension between Russian soldiers and their leaders on the ground.
Taken Out of Context
But the SBU provided the phone call excerpts to Reuters without much other context. They did give up names and phone numbers, which the news agency was able to match to registered Ukrainian soldiers.
No One Home
None of the calls Reuters made to the phones were answered or returned, though three spouses did confirm they were married to soldiers on the front.
Hard to Gauge
And the SBU didn’t say how many intercepts they made in all. So there is no real gauge about how widespread the distress among Russian soldiers is.
Close to the Vest
It’s also well known that both Russia and Ukraine are super sensitive about morale issues, and they keep any such information close to the vest.
Taking Shots at Each Other
Any chance one side can take to expose internal problems for the other is an extra knife jab in the ongoing battle of worldwide public perceptions.
Angry and Hopeless
Every single excerpt shared by the SBU fell into that category, with soldier emotions ranging from anger to despair.
Covering It All Up
One man said that everyone in his deployment is scared, and his superiors are trying to cover up all the shortcomings. And the generals, he said, “couldn’t care less.”
They’re Running Scared
Beyond mere griping and cursing, some of the soldiers spoke with fear and dread about the number of battlefield casualties they’re seeing.
Wiped Out
One man reported that three-quarters of his battalion was wiped out in one round of fighting.
No Walk in the Park
So, even if SBU cherry-picked the phone calls they reported on, it seems clear that Ukraine is no walk in the park for Russian soldiers.
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The post Russian Soldiers in Ukraine Are TERRIFIED and DESPERATE – Intercepted Phone Calls Tell All first appeared on Career Step Up.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Dmitriy Kandinskiy. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reuters
