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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
For our Russian trolls-Top Russian Military Brass Caught Venting: ‘You're Fucked, Putin‐Motherfucker!'
2022-06-01
Video subtitled in English and more of the transcript at the link.
[DailyBeast] Two high-ranking Russian military officers have been caught shit-talking Kremlin leadership in unimaginably colorful language. The two colonels blast the defense minister and lash out at that “motherfucker” Vladimir Putin for his poor strategy in Ukraine, according to a leaked recording of a phone conversation.

While Western and Ukrainian intelligence agencies have routinely reported on plunging morale among rank-and-file Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, many of whom have been heard complaining of dysfunction in intercepted communications, the latest audio appears to be the first to expose frustrations among high-ranking officers.

Radio Free Europe’s Ukrainian service published the curse-laden recording late Monday, reporting that it was provided by Ukrainian intelligence. One of the men heard in the purported intercepted call—identified as Colonel Maksim Vlasov—is no stranger to the eight-year war in Ukraine’s Donbas. He has been wanted by Ukrainian authorities since 2018 for the 2015 shelling of Mariupol—an attack in which he previously implicated himself by carelessly blabbing about it by phone in an earlier intercepted phone call covered by Bellingcat.

The latest recording, dated April 14, is said to show Vlasov and another colonel, Vitaly Kovtun, a doctor at the Naro-Fominsk military hospital said to hold many military honors, raging against the many failures of Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

They both express particular ire for Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

“There are horrible losses of our guys, fuck. And you know, I am familiar with military history a bit, and I compare this to the fucking Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. It’s fucking one and the same,” said Vlasov, referring to a war in which the Soviets are estimated to have lost 126,875 troops.

He goes on to take aim at Shoigu, whom he describes as an “incompetent fucking layman.”

“He’s a layman in his work. This is not his fucking thing. He’s just a fucking showman,” the man identified as Vlasov says.

Kovtun responds in kind, saying, “Shoigu is fucking shit. [There are] no contracted forces. Of course not! Why would there fucking be? They paid them 30,000 rubles [$490], where are they going to get contractees?”
Posted by:DarthVader

#11  Links to the mutineers' videos - these have all been posted to Ukrainian social media by the leaders of each unit:

1. 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade
Posted by: Jean-Paul   2022-06-01 22:19  

#10  Actually, even more Ukrainian units are mutinying. Here are four more units that have posted videos laying out their grievances and their demands of their leaders.

- the 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade

- the 30th Mechanized Brigade 3rd Battalion 9th Company

- the 57th Motorized Brigade

- the 18th Marine Battalion of the 35th Brigade
Posted by: Jean-Paul   2022-06-01 22:16  

#9  I'm told many of the Israeli military analysts hold this view as well.

Dale, that you?
Posted by: Frank G   2022-06-01 21:17  

#8  Putin now desperately seeks to recruitment over 40.
Posted by: Crons Tholush7614   2022-06-01 21:15  

#7  General Roland Kather: "Ich denke, sie werden sich mit dem Donbass – wenn sie ihn unter Kontrolle haben, und nach meiner Auffassung ist das nur noch eine Frage von Tagen, bestenfalls Wochen"

The French see the same rout in the making. Everyone sees the parallels with 1914-1918... except in this case the Russians have vastly more firepower.

It's also clear that the Ukrainians are isolated, trapped and reduced to throwing under-resources, untrained, inexperienced old men and kids into the meat grinder. We are seeing mutiny after mutiny after mutiny. This too is reminiscent of Workd War One.

Posted by: Jean-Paul   2022-06-01 20:50  

#6  ^ This pessimistic (as to Ukraine's chances of avoiding a complete rout in the Donbas in coming days) is the view of most of the German and French, and probably American, military establishments. Especially those analysts who understand the role and usage of artillery.

I'm told many of the Israeli military analysts hold this view as well.
Posted by: Jean-Paul   2022-06-01 20:37  

#5  I find it interesting that Russians think by simply occupying Severodonetsk that the war is over and that they can simply incorporate it into Russia, The Ukranian have mobilized hundreds of thousands that are being trained now and outfitted.The Russians are spent and the war is far from over. The Ukrainians with Western Financial and Military Support and determination could prevail in the long run.The Russians would need to create some sort of Strategic defeat for the war to end. For Russia to win they would need mass mobilization, reconstitute and refit their army which would take a year or years to accomplish, The war as fought now is far from over and currently favors the Ukranians.
Posted by: Elmavitch Unusolet5188   2022-06-01 20:29  

#4  After flailing and failing to capture Kyiv and Kherson, the Orcs shifted to trying to take Severodonetsk, Lysychansk. After being stalled the flailing Orcs then decided to concentrate on Severodonetsk. 20% of Severodonetsk as still not fallen but the failing orcs are taking catestrophic casualties.
Posted by: Cletle Shinese1880   2022-06-01 19:04  

#3  It served its purpose. It was a meatgrinder and now the Ukrainians pulled back. We will see how the Russians can get across the river in the western side of the city. So far they have fucked up 2 crossings to the northwest and I don't have a lot of faith in them successfully completing a 3rd.

Currently the Russian forces there will need a break as they have been make combat ineffective so there may be a pause for a while.

Meanwhile a Ukrainian counter offensive is going off in the south Velyka. We'll see how well it will go, but they have put some holes in the Russian lines so far. Time will tell if the Ukrainians will sustain it.
Posted by: DarthVader   2022-06-01 16:30  

#2  Severodonetsk has fallen.

Western military experts believe the fall of the rest of the Donbas is now just "a matter of days."
Posted by: Jean-Paul   2022-06-01 16:25  

#1  Let the wailing and gnashing of teeth commence!
Posted by: DarthVader   2022-06-01 16:20  

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