Russian soldiers are allegedly seeking Ukrainian ammunition in order to shoot themselves in the leg and return home, a conversation intercepted by Ukrainian authorities shows.
The audio reveals a Russian soldier telling his mother that his unit "wants to find 7.6 bullets, the Ukrainian ones" to shoot themselves, while claiming that others "have already done it". As he explained, upon being shot in the leg, they will be bandaged and sent to a hospital in Budenovsk, Russia.
The conversation was published by the Ukrainian intelligence service, and it is reported that 120 people have already been sent to hospital with wounds and that 350 have been returned in coffins.
The Russian soldier, whose identity is not known, tells his mother that his unit is no longer well equipped because "the Ukrainians blew it all up" and claims: "if they attack us now, we are dead."
Heavy casualties for Russian forces
According to the Pentagon, 7,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the fighting in Ukraine, while an estimated 14,000-21,000 have been wounded. This is 1/5 of the 150,000 troops Putin assembled on the border before ordering an attack 21 days ago.
In the intercepted phone call, the soldier's mother pleads with him to return home safely and hints that she will ask the army to send him back. However, the soldier says his commanders will not send him home, adding that "people who refused to serve have already been given eight-year sentences."
Russia, according to US intelligence, has suffered heavy casualties, and it is estimated that some units cannot continue fighting. However, shelling of cities continues as normal, with civilian casualties.
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