The audio intercepts obtained by the AP show how deeply unprepared young soldiers — and their country — were for the war to come.
By ERIKA KINETZ, Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — How do people raised with a sense of right and wrong end up involved in terrible acts of violence against others?
People are also reading… The intercepts show that as soldiers realized how much they'd been misled, they grew more and more afraid. Violence that once would have been unthinkable became normal. Looting and drinking offered moments of rare reprieve. Some said they were following orders to kill civilians or prisoners of war.
The AP spoke with the mothers of Ivan and Leonid, but couldn't reach Maxim or his family. The AP verified these calls with the help of the Dossier Center, an investigative group in London funded by Russian dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The conversations have been edited for length and clarity.In a joint production on Saturday, Feb.
"No one thought it would be so terrible," his mother said."My son just said one thing: 'My conscience is clear. They opened fire first.' That's all." Leonid:"Yeah, we did. We shot from the tanks, machine guns and rifles. We had no losses. We destroyed their four tanks. There were dead bodies lying around and burning. So, we won."Leonid:"More than ever!"Leonid:"They were lying there, just 18 or 19 years old. Am I different from them? No, I'm not."Leonid tells his mother their plan was to seize Kyiv within a week, without firing a single bullet. Instead, his unit started taking fire near Chernobyl.
In another call, he tells his girlfriend he's envious of his buddies who got shot in the feet and could go home."A bullet in your foot is like four months at home with crutches," he says."It would be awesome."Leonid:"I just wanted to call you again. I am able to speak."Leonid:"They do it for the insurance money. You know where they shoot themselves?"Mother:"It's bull——, Lyonya.
Leonid returned to Russia in May, badly wounded, but alive. He told his mother Russia would win this war.IVANIvan dreamed of being a paratrooper from the time he was a boy, growing up in a village at the edge of Siberia. He used to dress up in fatigues and play paintball with friends in the woods. A photo shows him at 12 years old, smiling with a big Airsoft rifle and a slimy splotch of green near his heart — a sign of certain death in paintball.
In July, a local paper published a notice of his funeral with a photo of him, again in fatigues holding a large rifle. Ivan died heroically in Russia's"special military operation," the announcement said. We will never forget you. All of Russia shares this grief. He has a bad toothache and his feet are freezing. The hunt for locals — men, women and children —who might be informing on them to the Ukrainian military is constant.
In the end, he handed the cash off to a random, cleanshaven man he thought looked decent."I told him: 'Look here, take it, give it to families with kids and take something for yourself. You'll figure it out, make it fair.'"
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
'Never saw such hell': Intercepted phone calls home by Russian soldiers reveal horrors of warThe audio intercepts obtained by the AP show how deeply unprepared young soldiers — and their country — were for the war to come.
Leer más »
Russian bloggers emerge as vicious critics of Putin’s leadership, floundering military’s performanceProminent right-wing Russian nationalists have seen their influence and public profiles rise over the past year to a point where they appear poised to shape the country’s future.
Leer más »
Russian suspension of New START latest blow to Biden’s arms control hopesPresident Vladimir Putin’s announcement Tuesday that Russia was “suspending” its adherence to the New START arms treaty is the latest blow to the Biden administration’s battered arms control agenda.
Leer más »
WADA appeals case of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to Court of Arbitration for Sport | CNNThe protracted doping saga involving Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva entered another phase on Tuesday as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Leer más »
6 Ukrainian civilians killed by Russian rockets as Putin speech attempts to justify warRussian rockets rained down on the Ukrainian city of Kherson, killing and maiming civilians, as Vladimir Putin was delivering a speech blaming the conflict on the West.
Leer más »
Ukraine's year of pain, death —and also nation-buildingKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — In the final hours before the Russian onslaught , a last grasp at peace. Russian troops would soon pour across Ukraine's borders and Russian missiles would fill Ukrainian skies, taking Ukrainian lives in the biggest air, sea and ground assault in Europe since World War II.
Leer más »