Ukrainian Military Intelligence (HUR) has released an intercepted phone call between two Russian soldiers, in which one of them discusses an apparent friendly fire incident.
In a post on Telegram, the HUR claims the call “reveals the critical psychological state of Russian soldiers,” adding: “There will be just retribution for every war crime committed against Ukraine.”
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"Hi, why didn't you call me yesterday?" speaker 1 asks at the start of the intercept.
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The other man replies: “F••k, yesterday was such a fun evening. The guy from the 12th brigade likely lost his grip yesterday and started fu**ing shooting us.
“F••k, he said, ‘I'll f**ing kill you, as***es!’
“Our guys shot him dead, I had to carry his body...”
As suggested by the intercepted phone call, Russian soldiers on the frontline experience extensive psychological pressure.
According to previous intercepted conversations, Russian men of conscript age are doing whatever possible to avoid conscription.
A transcript of the call published by Ukrainian military intelligence on June 20, appears to be an individual serving in the armed forces talking to another who is being recruited.
As evidenced by the intercepted phone call, the men were considering the drastic measure of divorcing their wives and taking custody of their children rather than having to fight in Ukraine.
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“You know what you need to do if your wife will sign up for it?” says the serving man. “I'll tell you in a nutshell…”
“I've been told that before,” the other replies. “Divorce my wife and keep the baby.
The men also discuss the heavy losses the Russian army is suffering, saying the authorities are not telling anyone the real numbers.
In another intercepted call released last week, a Russian soldier and his wife reveals Ukrainian troops are messaging Moscow’s commanders on social media and telling them: “We’ll tear you apart.”
The call also reveals the apparently shocking treatment of wounded and killed Russian prisoners who have been conscripted to fight in Ukraine.
It begins with the wife commenting on the ongoing summer offensive, saying: “It’s not quiet over there, is it?”
The soldier responds: “We’ve got Khokhols [pejorative for Ukrainians] hoarding up materiel, everybody knows everything, and nobody does anything.
“They write to the commander on Telegram when there’s internet. They tell him ‘you’re f**ked’ and that ‘we’ll tear you apart.’”
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