As the conflict in Ukraine has developed, reports have repeatedly emerged of Russian troops sabotaging their own side by looting reserve equipment, selling fuel, and allegedly killing their own commanders. According to director of GCHQ Sir Jeremy Fleming, Russia’s “command and control is in chaos” as planes have reportedly been shot down by friendly fire.
Mr Fleming is expected to speak to an audience in Australia tomorrow to say: “We’ve seen Russian soldiers – short of weapons and morale – refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft.”
A video has now been shared on Twitter and Telegram by pro-Ukraine outlets of angry young Russian conscripts slamming their leaders for giving them weapons from the 1940s.
The troops of the “119th Division, 4th Battalion, 1st and 2nd Companies” can be heard repeatedly asking “what are we doing here?” as they state they are “ordinary workers”.
One of the soldiers adds: “The Russian Ministry of Defence has no idea about us or what we are doing here.
“They’re throwing us directly into the s**t.”
Another furiously declared: “They illegally took us out of Russian territory without weapons, without documents, without f***ing anything.
“They’re sending us with rifles against GRADS, artillery, mortar shells.”
He added: “Our rifles are from the 1940s. They don’t f***ing fire!”
The Russian regime has been criticised for sending young, untrained conscripts into the conflict as the soldiers are heard saying: “They took us at 18 years old…Kids. We’re just kids.”
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Sir Jeremy said: “We know Putin’s campaign is beset by problems – low morale, logistical failures, and high Russian casualty numbers.
“We’ve seen Putin lie to his own people in an attempt to hide military incompetence.”
Michael Ryan, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defence for European and NATO Policy, expressed his view to Fox News Digital that the Russian side has reached a “culminating point”.