No heroic death in Ukraine: Russian soldiers' grim reality revealed
Journalists from AP were able to access intercepted recordings of Russian soldiers. These troops use codenames and express a reluctance to engage in battle. "There's no heroic death here, you die like a worm," says one of the recorded soldiers.
In their conversations, the Russians on the front line use special code: numerical abbreviations, which represent words such as "death", "wounded", and "desertion". The intercepted recordings also demonstrate that the number of soldiers wanting to retreat from the battle is increasing with the advent of another winter.
Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Russia announced laws providing criminal penalties for criticizing soldiers or their "special operation", which is how local propaganda refers to the invasion of Kyiv. Consequently, it’s not surprising that soldiers use code in their communications.
Russian Soldier Recordings Unveiled: Putin Should be Worried
"There's no heroic death here, you die like a worm," one soldier fighting on the front line in Kharkiv told his brother. Among both the soldiers and young Russians, fears are rising that Vladimir Putin might decide on another civilian mobilization.
At present, Moscow is encouraging Russians to sign contracts with the military. The annual autumn conscription started in October, which is expected to summon approximately 130,000 men to the front. Despite the Kremlin's claims that they will not be deployed to Ukraine, after a year of service they automatically become reserves. They can then be easily dispatched to the front.
Read also: Reluctance to Fight for Putin Leads to Another Mysterious Death in Russia
The AP reporters have verified the identities of those recorded. Some of them are still involved in the conflict in Ukraine. The recordings were made in January 2023, during the fierce battles for Bachmut - the most destructive and deadly battle since the war's outbreak.
The recorded Russians are men who did not seek to escape the front or were unable to avoid conscription. Some are without money, education, and prospects in their homeland. Others chose to participate in the battles out of a sense of patriotic duty. Various professions such as a butcher, a legal office worker, a roofer, can be noted among the recorded soldiers.
"What's happening in Ukraine is essentially genocide. If it doesn't end soon, we might end up taking Ukrainians to the Kremlin ourselves. It's simply a testing ground where the world tests their weapons," a soldier fighting in Kharkiv told his brother.
Some still believe in the purpose of the war in Ukraine. "As long as we are needed here, we will do our duties," one soldier named Artyom said in a recorded conversation. Another soldier, nicknamed "Mad Scientist" due to his unkempt hair, noted the disparity in equipment between the Wagner Group and the regular army.
"Mad Scientist" further shared in the recording that he was requested by his commander not to target civilians. "But how can you tell them apart? Even a child can carry a grenade," he challenged in a conversation with his brother. “If you refuse orders or object to something, you're immediately labeled a deserter or "500". We have no option but to follow orders, whether we want to or not,” he added.
In the Russian soldiers' vernacular, "500" denotes deserter, "300" refers to "wounded", and "200" means "death". "Mad Scientist" lost his brother in a car accident during the war. He took a self-financed taxi home from Luhansk to attend the funeral and didn't return. He is now considered a deserter and could be imprisoned for up to 10 years.
"Death is everywhere. So many corpses. It doesn’t shatter our psyche but that's not the point. We have professionals in our national army who rotate and get vacations. They have no issue with food or water, while we sometimes drink from puddles," said Roman in another recording.
"Conscript soldiers are not treated as human. They die for no reason. It makes no sense, I assure you. This is no war. When I get back, I'll tell you what's really going on. It's all nonsensical," Andrey told his mother in one conversation. Regarding injured contract soldiers, he noted the difference: "They get sent home. But if you're a conscript, you are expected to return to fight after being treated – it’s preposterous!"
The AP reached out to the Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defense for comments about the recordings, but there was no response.
