“Mom, this war is the stupidest decision our government has ever made”: Ukraine intercepts Russian soldiers’ communications on the home front | Ukraine and Russia war

The story of Russian soldiers at the front does not lie shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They talk about military failures and executions of Ukrainian civilians. They condemn their leaders to the highest degree. “Putin is an idiot,” says Private Alexander over the phone. “He wants to take Kyiv, but we absolutely can’t do that.”

The New York Times mentions only the soldiers’ first name for their protection. That is why the audience is not mentioned by name. Many statements by Russian soldiers will be punished in their own country. For example, soldier Nikita says to his girlfriend: “Damn it, there are corpses on the road. Citizens are lying on the road. He is upset. ” “Limbs are scattered on the road, already swollen. Nobody picks them up. None of us, he’s a ridiculous citizen,” Alexander also told one of his relatives.

Earlier it was revealed that the Russian military had no idea that they were being used in a war against Ukraine. “We will all exercise for two to three days,” Nikita said. “We were cheated like children.” Other soldiers also confirmed this, like Alexei to his partner: “I did not know that this would happen. They said we were going to a training camp. These bastards did not tell us anything. “

The same voice with Sergey in a conversation with his mother: “No one told us we were going to war. We were only notified the day before we left. ” Sergey also says, “Mom, this war is the dumbest decision our government has ever made, I think.”

Soldiers also complain of strategic errors and lack of supplies. They admit to imprisoning and killing civilians and looting homes and businesses. Many want to get rid of their military contracts. Sergey tells his girlfriend: “On TV they just want to deceive people, like ‘Everything is under control, there is no war, only a special operation.’ But it is actually a fucking war. “

Only two weeks later, the soldiers at the front realized that they could not take only Kyiv. On the mobile phone they expressed their astonishment at the “professional” Ukrainian armed forces. They refer to the enemy by the word jokhulUkrainian swear word. “We can’t take Kyiv. We only take villages, and this is already,” says Alexander. “They wanted to do it all at once, but they did not succeed,” Sergey tells his partner. “Tanks and armored vehicles were burned. Roads were flooded. Now we can’t go any further.” Nikita puts it this way: “I never thought I would end up in such a shit.”

Nikita says to his girlfriend: “Our troops shot at us, they thought we were Khokhlats … We thought we were finished.” Sergey also complains to his girlfriend about the lack of decent materials. “Some men have taken Ukrainian body armor for themselves… NATO’s armor is better than ours.”

Three weeks into the war – it will be mid-March – the soldiers are talking about heavy losses. According to Nikita, a soldier of the 656th National Guard Regiment, he killed 90 men around him when they were ambushed. “Sixty percent of the regiment is gone,” says Nikita to his mother. Yevgeny tells his partner that “there is nothing left” of his battalion. Another soldier saw the rows of boxes containing the bodies of 400 young paratroopers in a hangar at the airport. Sergey also talks about 400 paratroopers on his mother’s cell phone. Only 38 of them are still alive. Because our leaders sent soldiers to the massacre.” Soldiers from the Air Force reported that an entire battalion of 600 soldiers had been eliminated.

Russian soldiers also talk about their atrocities. Sergey, for example, confesses to his girlfriend that he became a “murderer” when his captain ordered him to execute three men who “passed through our warehouses.” We picked them up, took off their clothes, and checked all their clothes. Then we had to decide whether to release them. If we let them go, they might betray our position. So it was decided to shoot them in the forest. ” When asked why the men were not arrested, Sergey said, “We must feed them, and we did not have enough food ourselves.”

Sergey says to his girlfriend frankly: “They told us that there were many civilians around where we were going. We were ordered to kill everyone we came across. Because otherwise they could betray our positions. It seems that we are going to do it. Kill every civilian who passes and throw them in the forest. I’ve already become a murderer. That’s why I don’t want to kill more people, especially those I have to look in the eyes for.”

War affects the morale of soldiers. Vadim says to his partner: “I will stop, damn it. I accept a civilian job. And my son will not join the army, 100% sure. I tell him that he will be a doctor. ” But they can’t get away from the front. “They do not allow anyone to resign. They say you will go to prison for five years,” Sergey said to his girlfriend.

Others want to stay for the money. For example, Alexander says to his partner: “I am tired of this decade, but where can I make so much money?” They also enrich themselves with loot. “Go and find an apartment in Orenburg,” Alexander tells his partner, because he and his colleague have found enough money to buy it in a safe in the house. Nikita also confirms this to a friend: “Everything was stolen, all alcohol was drunk, cash was lost. Everyone is doing it here. “