Russian President Vladimir Putin (70) is not bothered by the conditions in the Russian army. The partial mobilization is complete for him. 300,000 Russians have been drafted into the war and according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (67), 82,000 have already been mobilized in Ukraine. So there are enough soldiers. But there are problems with the equipment, food and weapons. Apparently the situation is so bad that the soldiers have to provide their own equipment and at the same time fear being robbed.
“Bring your own thermal imaging device,” one mobilized soldier already at the front advises another in a phone call intercepted by the Ukrainian secret service. “If you can, get one. It will serve you well in the dark.”
He shouldn’t give his equipment to other soldiers, because they would just lose it or keep it for themselves. This is deadly, especially with night vision goggles. When it gets dark, you can hardly see anything. In any case, only a few soldiers would have such a device. Accordingly, such equipment is popular among the Russians.
“Too many bastards have lied!”
Time and again there are reports of how bad it is for humble soldiers. A month ago, Russians complained that the reservists had to buy their own equipment, but that the military uniforms, sleeping bags and boots had been out of stock for months. Further Russian phone calls show that many soldiers now have no bread or water.
Even Putin’s best propagandists are bitterly upset that there is a lack of equipment and food. “Too many bastards have lied!” shouts Vladimir Solovyov (59) on Russian state television. ‘About what’s in our depots. About the condition of our equipment. About how many soldiers are at the front.” Time and again, the impression is created that the Kremlin has miscalculated when it comes to military resources. The price for this is paid by the poorly trained soldiers at the front. (jwg)