As Russia’s war with Ukraine drags into its first month on Wednesday, March 23, reports of infighting and dissatisfaction within the attacking Russian troops have come out as casualties and injuries within the Russian Army increase.
A call between two Russian soldiers was reportedly intercepted by the Ukrainian Security Service, which painted a picture of anger and dissatisfaction within the troops over the prolonged military conflict that they have found themselves in, with complaints about the mounting dead bodies and the ineffective planning, according to the Daily Beast.
“Do you know what he told us? ‘It’s no secret to anyone that there are only a few hours until this special operation is over.’ And now those hours are still going,” the unnamed soldier said.
The soldiers described a scenario where many of the wounded were left untreated in field hospitals, and that those who were suffering from frostbite were being ignored. He also remarks on the poor planning of the operation, saying that a bomb was accidentally dropped to them by a Russian plane.
“This ‘special operation,’ damnit… with respect to homes not meant to be destroyed… it’s bullsh*t,” he said.
An estimate on the casualties suffered by the Russians puts the number between 7,000 and 15,000 men, which would mean that the month-long operation has suffered equal casualties to the 10-year attempted occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, ABC Illinois reported.
Roman Tsymbaliuk, a Ukrainian journalist, also revealed that the dissatisfaction of the men is such that one of the soldiers conspired to injure Col. Yury Medvedev, who was flown back to safety after injuring both of his legs.
“Having waited for the right moment, during battle, he ran over the commander with a tank as he stood next to him, injuring both his legs. Now Col. Medvedev is in a hospital in Belarus, waiting for monetary compensation for combat wounds received during the ‘special military operation to protect the Donbas,’” Tsymbaliuk wrote.
With the Russian troops finding no progress in taking Kyiv, many have started to dig trenches and defensive positions as they appear to recalibrate their current plan of attack against the capital.
Even the city of Mariupol, which has been getting the highest civilian casualty numbers in Ukraine as well as heavy bombing from the Russians, has remained out of the invader’s hands as Ukrainian forces have consolidated against the fall of the city.
A senior Russian official has even suggested that the use of nuclear weapons is possible if the current scenario does not change.
“The Russian Federation is capable of physically destroying any aggressor or any aggressor group within minutes at any distance,” Russian aerospace head Dmitry Rogozin said.
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