Russian soldiers recorded a video of their deaths before the assault in Donbas: everyone died
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A pre-recorded video has emerged from social media featuring Russian soldiers who prepared a final message in anticipation of their deaths before an upcoming assault in Donbas. In the recording, the men express confusion regarding the strategic logic of attacking ruined structures and railway lines that appear useless to both sides, yet they affirm their willingness to obey orders regardless. They describe themselves as spirited and courageous rather than cowards, stating that even if they do not return, no one will give up or leave the mission. The soldiers explicitly warn that if their unit is wiped out, this video will go viral immediately, serving as a posthumous appeal to the public and bloggers to investigate how mobilized and contract soldiers are being trained and deployed.
The group behind the message consists of fifteen individuals, comprising ten regular soldiers and five reserves, who highlight the severe shortage of personnel and the grim reality of their situation. They draw a sharp distinction between themselves, who are experienced veterans or special forces members on multiple contracts, and the newly mobilized conscripts who have seen combat but lack adequate preparation. The soldiers report that approximately one thousand men, possibly up to twelve hundred, have already been killed in the area around Kleshchiivka with no effective action taken to address the losses. They feel deep sorrow for these new recruits and urge the public to raise awareness about the conditions under which these soldiers are sent into high-risk assault missions without proper support or training.
Despite acknowledging that they were promised artillery support and evacuation, which have not materialized as expected, the soldiers insist that refusal is practically impossible for them. They state clearly that if their team does not return, they want their families to know they stood by Russia until the end, while also demanding that the regiment commander and leadership be held criminally responsible for the situation. The video serves as an insurance measure against total silence, ensuring that the high risk of death faced by these troops is documented and brought to light even after their demise. This act underscores a desperate attempt to draw attention to what they describe as the extermination of Russian people in the region, where fighting continues over terrain that offers little tactical advantage.
The context of this tragic situation is further illuminated by recent military developments, including Ukraine's counteroffensive which has successfully cut off a Russian salient north of Lyman after four months of operations. Ukrainian forces have liberated over two hundred square kilometers of territory, neutralizing an important springboard that Russia used to pressure key cities like Lyman, Izyum, and Sloviansk while threatening northern logistics in Donbas. The emergence of this video against the backdrop of such significant territorial changes highlights the human cost of the conflict and the internal desperation within Russian ranks. As the fighting persists over seemingly futile objectives, the soldiers' final words serve as a stark reminder of the immense losses and the moral dilemma faced by those ordered to advance into certain death without adequate resources or strategic justification.
Read the full video transcript
A video of Russian soldiers who had
pre-recorded a message in case of their
death before the next assault has
surfaced on social media. In the video,
they admit they don't understand the
rationale behind attacking the ruins and
railway in Donbas, but they will carry
out the order anyway. If something were
to happen to us, we want to tell our
families that we stood here for Russia
to the last and that all would be well
with you. We're spirited, courageous men
and we're not cowards. We'll still go on
and do our job. And the rest, no one
will give up, no one will leave. We were
promised artillery support. We were
promised evacuation. We were told
everything would be fine. But if our
team doesn't return, if something bad
were to happen to us, this video would
immediately go viral, the soldiers say.
According to them, the appeal was
recorded on behalf of a group of 15
people, 10 soldiers and five reserves.
They asked the public and bloggers to
raise the issue of how the Russian army
trains mobilized and contract soldiers
who are sent on assault missions. On
behalf of our entire company, 10 people
and five reserves, that's 15 people, we
ask the public to raise this issue. How
are our mobilized soldiers and our
contract soldiers being trained? All the
guys here are already on their second
contract. They're Akhmatovites. They're
special forces. They're our Wagnerites
who won't chicken out and will carry out
their mission. But I feel very sorry for
the guys who are mobilized, who have
handled a machine gun more than once.
We're asking the entire public, all
bloggers, I don't know if this will
reach you, but please raise the issue.
The Russian people are being
exterminated here. There's a shortage of
personnel and clearly, around 1,000 guys
have already been killed here in
Kleshchiivka, maybe even more, 1,200.
And there's nothing to do there. This
could simply be the last time you see
these guys.
The fighting continues for the ruins,
for the railroad, which is basically
useless to anyone. I don't understand
why we're going there, but we'll get
there. No one will back down. If we die,
we ask that the regiment commander and
the leadership be held criminally
responsible, they stated. The soldiers
speak openly about their shortage of
personnel, poor training, and enormous
losses, but they are still ready to move
forward because refusal is practically
not an option. It's especially telling
that the video is an insurance measure.
If the group doesn't return, the video
is supposed to appear online. This means
the soldiers themselves accept the high
risk of death and are trying, at least
after death, to draw attention to what's
happening at the site. Earlier, reported
that after 4 months of counteroffensive,
Ukraine's third army corps had managed
to cut off the Russian salient north of
Lyman and liberate over 200 square
kilometers of territory. This salient
was an important springboard for
pressuring Lyman, Izyum, and Sloviansk,
and also posed a threat to the northern
logistics of the Donbas.