Intercepted calls released by Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) suggest a Russian commander losing his temper and ordering his soldiers to shoot at their own.
“F*ck the 55th (an adjacent Russian unit), shoot them, that’s the battalion commander’s order, shoot them,” a Russian commander can be heard saying in an audio published by HUR on April 5.
The unidentified Russian commander appears frustrated at the adjacent Russian unit for not properly following the order and revealing positions to Ukrainian troops.
The Kyiv Independent couldn’t independently verify the authenticity of the audio published by HUR.
Much remains unknown about the scale of such incidents in the Russian military, which has relied on its vast manpower to gradually gain ground across Ukraine’s front.
Despite the heavy losses, they have managed to capture some of Ukraine’s last strongholds in the Donbas region in the second half of 2024.
Multiple incidents of “friendly fire” in the Russian army have been reported. In December, HUR claimed that North Korean troops fighting alongside Moscow opened fire and killed eight Russian servicemen.
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