They break their own legs to escape and drink to forget: Security service of Ukraine publishes occupiers’ conversations

Iryna Balachuk — Saturday, 26 March 2022, 11:36

Russian army conscripts are struggling to deal with the psychological burden of the war in Ukraine. Some of them are mutilating themselves in order to escape, while others are drowning their terrifying flashbacks in drink.

Source: Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), publishing intercepted conversations between occupiers and their relatives

SBU quote: "For your attention - a mix tape of ‘whining’ occupiers."

Details: The audio features two conscripts’ conversations. One of them calls his fellow soldiers "f**king bastards" because they escaped.

Quote (Russian soldier): "Those f**king bastards got the f**k out. One broke his own leg on purpose. The other said he was concussed and couldn’t remember his own parents."

Details: However, the Russian soldiers’ relatives don’t feel sorry for them – they’re just upset about the failure of the so-called "special operation" and blame it all on NATO.

Quote (Russian soldier’s female relative): "Just don’t get drunk, that’s the last thing you need. What ‘if you go crazy’?... Well, you can get therapy."

Another soldier, in response to his wife arguing that one of her relatives spent two years as a conscript in Grozny, said that there was less going on in Grozny.

Quote (Russian soldier): "What’s happened during this time [the month of war in Ukraine – ed.] has been like three years’ worth. Believe me... Because we just didn’t expect anything like this."