In audio intercepts from the front lines in Ukraine, Russian soldiers speak in shorthand of 200s to mean dead, 300s to mean wounded. The urge to flee has become common enough that they also talk of 500s — people who refuse to fight.

As the war grinds into its second winter, a growing number of Russian soldiers want out, as suggested in secret recordings obtained by The Associated Press of Russian soldiers calling home from the battlefields of the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Ukraine.

The calls offer a rare glimpse of the war as it looked through Russian eyes — a point of view that seldom makes its way into Western media, largely because Russia has made it a crime to speak honestly about the conflict in Ukraine. They also show clearly how the war has progressed, from the professional soldiers who initially powered Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion to men from all walks of life compelled to serve in grueling conditions.

“There’s no f------ ‘dying the death of the brave’ here,” one soldier told his brother from the front in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. “You just die like a f------ earthworm.”

  • otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    11 months ago

    It’s so amusing to see comments from accounts that seem entirely oblivious to its own username. 🤦🏼‍♂️🖕🏽🤣

    • deafboy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      11 months ago

      Who would’ve thought that blaming the actual invaders for the invasion was such a controversial opinion.

      The Prigozhins attempted mutiny clearly shows the guys are not afraid of drastic measures. Only they wren’t protesting against the war, they were protesting the lack of ammo. For killing the ukrainians. Which is what they wanted to do.

        • deafboy@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          11 months ago

          The point is, his guys were happy to risk the start of civil war, just so the minister and the president hear their demands. They could’ve called for the end of the aggression, which would’ve indicated they don’t really want to be there. Instead they’ve asked for more supplies, so they can kill more effectively. Which indicated, they’re perfectly happy on the active battlefield, given the proper support. And we shouldn’t forget their choices after the war.

      • otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        11 months ago

        Your cherry picking asinine attempts to prop up your shit argument are clumsy at best, and poorly translated propaganda typed one-handed in a frothy haze otherwise. Use your own words, tiger.

        • deafboy@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          11 months ago

          Now I’m genuinely confused. Which propaganda? All I’m saying is the guys with tanks and guns can’t convince me they’re pillaging and murdering by mistake. One does not accidentally massacre Bucha, or decimate Mariupol. They’ve made choices. They’ve chose wrong.

          edit: And they’re making the same bad choice over again, every morning.