‘We’re Just Meat’: Russian Military Keeps Killing Its Own Troops

CIRCULAR FIRING SQUAD

We have “more losses from our own” than from the Ukrainians, a Russian soldier admits to his mother.

Allison Quinn

News Editor

Published Dec. 20, 2022 2:13PM ET 

Listen to article5 minutes

Russian soldiers sent next door to kill Ukrainians are increasingly getting killed by their own military instead.

That’s according to the independent outlet iStories, which on Tuesday released a new report detailing Russia’s deadly mishaps on the battlefield, with drunk soldiers, negligent commanders, and the clumsy use of weapons blamed for the trend.

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Russian troops have also been caught venting openly to relatives about the dangers they face from their own men in Ukraine.

In audio released by Ukrainian intelligence on Tuesday and said to capture a Russian soldier’s phone conversation, a man identified only as Aleksei tells his mother the military just sent reinforcements. He explains that the reinforcements came because “20 people are gone.”

“Our tank hit hard: It fired twice and 20 guys, fuck. I’m telling you, what the fuck kind of command is this, scumbags. They’re fucking killing their own,” Aleksei, who described himself as a commander, said.

“I’m telling you, there are more losses from our own [guys],” than the Ukrainians, he said.

Another purported soldier, heard complaining to a friend back home in audio released Monday, said it was clear the military leadership gives “zero fucks” if their soldiers come back alive.

“It’s not a war, it’s a shit show. It’s complete bullshit,