In the truth percolates department . . . Russia has denied the commission of any war crimes in its war against Ukraine and claimed military superiority, even victory. The phone calls from Russian soldiers to their families and friends tell a different story,
On Russia’s war capabilities and equipment: “Some guys took armor off of Ukrainians’ corpses and took it for themselves. . . Their NATO armor is better than ours.”
There were 400 paratroopers. And only 38 of them survived. . . . Because our commanders sent soldiers to the slaughter.”
On war crimes . . . a solider to his girlfriend describing capturing Ukrainian soldiers:
Soldier: “We detained them, undressed them, and checked their clothes. Then a decision had to be made whether to let them go. If we let them go, they could give away our position. . . SO it was decided to shoot them in the forest.”
Girlfriend: “Why didn’t you take them as prisoners?”
Soldier: “We would have had to feed them, and we don’t have enough food for ourselves, you see.”
On looting:
Soldier: “So, we went to this house. Misha and I opened the safe with a key. There was 5,200 (5.2 million rubles.”
Soldier’s partner: “Put it back.”
Soldier: “I’m not an idiot. I have an entire apartment in my pocket.”
A shipping company in Belarus stopped a solider from shipping clothes back to his wife in Russia. other soldiers brought home a vacuum and a Kawasaki.
Some war. Some ethics.
Yousur Al-Hlou, Masha Froliak, and Evan Hill, “Bitter Tales of Failure and Fear in Russian Troops’ Calls Home,” New York Times, September 30 2022