In recent weeks, a wave of videos has appeared on social networks of Russian soldiers from various parts of the country complaining that they are being used as “cannon fodder” and sent to attack unprepared or in suicidal battles.

War in Ukraine: Russian troops raised the Russian flag in MariupolPhoto: AP / AP / Profimedia

Such videos were made by soldiers from at least 16 regions of Russia, complaining, among other things, of poor training, lack of equipment, brutal command, mistreatment and being used as “cannon fodder” for missions with no chance of success.

Many of these videos were translated by Dmitry, founder of the well-known website WarTranslated, and analyzed by the independent Russian website Verstka, which identified the regions where they originated.

Independent researcher and analyst Chris Owen notes on his Twitter page that the map of origin of the soldiers filming shows that they are from peripheral or isolated regions of Russia, with a notable absence of affluent areas in the west of the country. .

Moreover, even in the early days following Russia’s “partial” mobilization decree last year, it became clear that the way it was carried out was asymmetric, with men of all ages living in poorer areas of the country and large-scale exceptions in major Western cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Now it seems that this discrepancy also applies to the equipment of the soldiers in the different regions and areas of the front where they are sent.

How Russian soldiers complain that they are being sent to certain death

March 1: Soldiers of the 1439th Regiment, formed in the Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk regions, complain that they are being “sent to the slaughter”, say they are “expendable material”, are fired upon to “motivate” them, and that the unit has suffered so many casualties that that it had to be restored 6 times.

They made a direct appeal to President Vladimir Putin to take action to remedy the situation and take action against incompetent command.

The March 6 recording was made by soldiers stationed in Kaliningrad, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, with similar claims that they are threatened by incompetent commanders who send them on deadly raids. They are also talking about supply problems at the front.

March 7: Men mobilized in the Belgorod region on the Ukrainian border complain that they are being sent to storm Ukrainian villages without training.

March 5: men from the Krasnodar region recorded a call accusing them of sending “senseless attacks” to Donetsk region. They also talk about the lack of training, preparation and support.

The Russian military is asking Vladimir Putin to help them

March 4: Military personnel from the Orenburg region complain that they were placed under the command of pro-Russian separatist units in eastern Ukraine and sent to attack without preparation. They complain that they are in a hopeless situation and that only President Putin can help them.

March 3: Recruits sent to the front from Mordovia and the Mari region appeal to Putin, saying they were conscripted into separatists in Luhansk without documents and are being sent to attack without training.

In February, such recordings were made by the Russian military, mobilized in Omsk, Tuva, Irkutsk, Bashkiria, Mari El, Kaliningrad and Orenburg regions.

Why are these videos appearing now?

The Verstka website notes that this is the second wave of footage taken by Russian men mobilized after September 21. The first was taken in late September and early October, when large numbers of recruits were rushed to the front to close gaps in vulnerable sectors.

But from November to the end of January, there were not many such personnel, probably this is due to the fact that during this period the main burden of hostilities fell mainly on “Wagner” mercenaries and soldiers who voluntarily went to fight in Ukraine.

But the resumption of attacks in the direction of Bakhmut and other nearby areas led to sending recruits into battle.

In addition, the Institute for the Study of War in its latest assessment of the situation in Ukraine notes that, including in Bakhmut, where Wagner’s mercenaries were the “first violin” of the offensive launched in early August, operations appear to be carried out by regular Russian troops.

ISW also notes that a frontal assault east of the city likely absorbed a significant proportion of Wagner’s personnel and resources, although it is not yet known whether this effort resulted in the Wagner offensive reaching its peak.

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