Two intercepted phone calls made by Russian servicemen suggest entire units of Moscow’s troops are being wiped out as they try to contain Ukraine’s summer offensive.
In the first, released by Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), a soldier talking with his wife or girlfriend discusses the fate of the “27th Brigade” fighting in Svatove near the besieged town of Kupyansk, saying:
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“Don't you know what happened with the 27th brigade?”
“No?”
“Haven't you heard about it?”
“No, what happened?”
“The problem is, they were cut the f**k up.”
“Where did it happen?”
“In Svatove.”
“You mean all of them?”
“Yes, all our guys were slaughtered.”
The soldier then goes on to claim that the massacre took place because the unit was “way too relaxed” and had been drinking ahead of an expected rotation out from the frontlines.
He says: “Yes, they knew that they would be withdrawn soon, so they just had to be patient.
“But no, bitch, they must have got drunk.”
Fighting in the Svatove area has been fierce for a number of weeks as Russian forces make a push towards the town of Kupyansk.
Kupyansk is a major rail hub with five different lines intersecting in the town– one of which leads directly into Russia – making it a hugely important strategic objective that Russia has already captured once before it was liberated last autumn.
British Defence Intelligence Update Ukraine 23 December 2024
Retaking Kupyansk would be a significant achievement for Russia – not only would it mean the reestablishment of the train link with Russia, but the Kremlin would be sure to make the most of the propaganda potential of recapturing territory liberated by Ukraine in last year’s counteroffensives.
At the moment, Ukraine’s forces appear to be withstanding the assaults but Russia's drive in Kupyansk has sought to draw Ukrainian troops away from Kyiv’s own counteroffensive operations elsewhere.
In another call released by HUR, only one speaker can be heard describing an apparently dire situation in an unknown location.
Speaking to someone called “Denis,” the soldier says he’s received a report and “all five boys are dead.”
He says: “The chief of staff of the regiment showed me a report that said tankers died there.
“I checked it and realized all of our 5 boys were considered dead. There was also one more name that was unfamiliar.”
He goes on to describe the situation as “just f**ked up,” claiming “the whole regiment is being returned.
He adds: “All territorial defence regiments are being disbanded. Only our regiment is being left and a merger is underway.”
Though the calls have not been independently verified, and the exact dates of the calls are not known, the situation for soldiers on both sides is difficult as Ukraine’s summer offensive gains momentum.
Ukrainian soldiers have told Kyiv Post they would fight on, but morale has been suffering with no quick end in sight.
However, the release of such intercepted conversations by Ukraine’s intelligence services indicates that Russia’s military finds itself in a much more dire situation, with soldiers coming to fear their own side as much as that of their Ukrainian adversary.
Previous calls include:
- ‘He Started Shooting Us!’ – Intercepted Phone Call Reveals Russian Friendly Fire Incident
- ‘We’ll Tear You Apart’ – Ukrainian Soldiers Are Trolling Russian Commanders on Telegram
- ‘War Until 2026’ - Russian Soldier Claims He’s Been Told To Expect 3 More Years of Fighting
- ‘Trucks Full of Corpses’ – Intercepted Phone Call Suggests Massive Wagner Losses
- ‘All Our Boys Are Rotting’– Intercepted Phone Call Suggests Heavy Russian Causalities Near Antonivsky Bridge
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