Alleged intercepted call between a Russian officer and superior lays bare the harsh conditions faced by Russian Troops
The call between a frontline officer in charge of a unit attempting to advance on the southern city of Mykolaiv and his superiors adds to a growing picture of equipment shortages, communication problems, and harsh conditions besetting Russian troops as the war stands on the threshold of its fifth week.
In the three-minute discussion, which is claimed to have been intercepted by the Ukrainian security service, the Russian officer complains that half his troops are suffering from “leg frostbite” and that his troops have spent the last five days traveling with their “Cargo 200” – a Russian military phrase denoting dead soldiers.
The call is unverified but is part of a body of open source evidence and intelligence material suggesting that Vladimir Putin’s offensive against Ukraine is “stalled” in many places and in danger of descending into chaos in some locations.
Fascinating claimed intercepted call from Russian officer near Mykolaiv to superiors in Russia. He says:
– This is worse than Chechnya
– 50% of troops have frostbite
– They can’t evacuate the dead
– Don’t have enough tents
– RU plane dropped a bomb on their own position 🧵 pic.twitter.com/3KjGrqD5jZ— Dmitri Alperovitch (@DAlperovitch) March 23, 2022
Russian troops are facing other problems as not enough ration to feed themseleves. Russian invasion forces have been ill-equipped for the task assigned to them and lack vital supplies, including cold-weather clothing. The officer in the intercepted call details a list of hardships and shortages being suffered by the men under his command, including a lack of body armor and stoves to heat food, and having to dig and live in trenches. Medics with his troops only have sufficient bandages to treat the wounded rather than those with frostbite, he adds.
According to the Washington Post: “We’ve picked up some indications that they lack the appropriate cold-weather gear for the environment that they’re in that some troops have suffered and taken out of the fight because of frostbite. We don’t think they properly planned.” Frostbite is the freezing of the flesh to the point at which blood no longer circulates, leading to loss of sensation and in severe cases the loss of fingers, toes, and limbs.
