“They threw grenades while drunk”: this is how Russian soldiers call from the front – 53 degrees below zero – it’s colder than ever in China

The war in Ukraine has been raging for almost a year now. Photos of the fronts reach us daily. They usually come from the soldiers involved themselves. On both sides, the fighters post their videos and snapshots of what is happening at the front via Twitter or Telegram.

However, sometimes you can also get material released by higher levels. For example, the Ukrainian intelligence service occasionally publishes recordings of intercepted telephone conversations of Russian soldiers. They provide interesting insights into what it is like in the Russian camps at the front, but also at home.

The authenticity of the calls cannot be independently verified. Who is calling and from where remains among the callers – and the news service. Nevertheless: here are three examples of such recordings.

For better understanding, we have kept the generous use of swear words to a minimum.

“We live like shit dogs in holes”

In a telephone conversation, a soldier complains about the situation at the front. The problems he reports are nothing new: no more food, no more staff, and no one who cares.

When the man arrived in Ukraine with his unit, there were still 240 men. Now there are only 94, he says. Every day there are two or three fewer: some run away, others are injured, still others die.

During the conversation, the soldier also mentions an argument he had with his mother during another telephone conversation. He told her how to “get the best of him out of that.” His mother replied dryly:

“They threw grenades while they were drunk”

Apparently, the Russian army is facing problems not only at the front, but also at the rear. A caller from Mordovia reported his front-line detachment, which is still in Russia but has already injured 30 people – from drinking and frostbite.

“They Take Everything”

In another telephone conversation, a woman explains to a man how the situation is at home. She says that more and more people around her are being called up, even though they don’t have the medical condition for it.

Katja told her about an acquaintance who had undergone an operation. He was picked up ten days after surgery. Xenias Bogdan would also have been arrested. She is said to have said: “But you can’t go to war with your illness!”. But if he’s alive, he must go.

Officially, there is no second wave of mobilization for the so-called “special operation”. However, reports of large-scale seizures are piling up.

(cpf)