Russian soldier's tearful account reveals the brutal toll of Vovchansk
- Out of 46 people, 30 returned. Many brothers died. I apologize to those I didn't save, - says a Russian soldier from the 138th Brigade. Shaking and in tears, he talks about the assault on the Ukrainian city of Vovchansk. His identity has been confirmed.
9:36 PM EDT, July 15, 2024
According to Astra, the soldier in the recording is Yevgeny Zarubin, who lives in Kursk, Russia. In an interview with the portal, he confirmed that he is the author of the recording and previously served in the Wagner group. After the group disbanded, he was assigned to train prisoners and direct them to assault tasks.
In the recording, the man talks about the effects of another assault on the Ukrainian city of Vovchansk. He adds that only 30 out of 46 people came out alive. - Many brothers died. I apologize to those I didn't save, - states the soldier of the 138th brigade. Many of those who survived were injured.
"The face of the Russian offensive in Kharkiv"
The Russian is in tears in the recording. He has a bandage on his right hand. The man is shaken, his voice breaking.
At the same time on Telegram chats and groups to which relatives of the 138th brigade's military personnel belong, dozens of messages are appearing about the search for missing soldiers after the attack on Vovchansk.
"The face of the Russian offensive in Kharkiv. Out of 46 soldiers, only 30 managed to escape the meat grinder alive according to Putin's whim, and many of them were 300*. They fight to the last Russian, exhaust their strength, cry, but like zombies, they keep going to their death," comments Yuri Butusov, editor-in-chief of Censor.Net.
*Cargo 300 - designation for transports of wounded soldiers who are unable to continue fighting.
The bloodiest month of the war
The British Ministry of Defense reports that in the last two months, the Russian army has lost over 70,000 injured and killed during the war in Ukraine. "The average daily Russian casualties (killed and wounded) in Ukraine throughout May and June 2024, increased to conflict highs of 1262 and 1163 respectively. In total, Russia likely lost (killed and wounded) in excess of 70,000 personnel over the past two months" stated the British Defense Department.
Intelligence believes that the increase in Russian army combat losses is related to opening a new front in the Kharkiv region at the beginning of May. For the next two months, the level of Russian casualties will remain at a thousand people per day. British intelligence called May "the bloodiest month" of the entire war, in which Russia lost up to 37,000 soldiers.
