Fighters from the Russian republic of Chechnya who have been recruited to fight in the Ukrainian war have been making videos of their attempts to look brave and powerful in the war. But the videos appear to be on stage, according to reports that Ukrainian intelligence officials have obtained from one of the fighters.
The shots show several fighters appearing to be laughing while driving and firing weapons into a forest of trees, according to images the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said it obtained from one of the fighters’ phones. According to the SBU, the fighters were fighting and were not actually shooting anyone.
It turns out that “after all, instead of fighting Ukrainian defenders, these ‘Putinians’ are fighting heroically with … pines in the forests of the Luhansk region,” the SBU said in a statement mocking the videos.
Other videos show alleged Chechen fighters dancing outside their vehicles while firing other weapons.
It is only the latest update from Ukraine that seems to show that the forces of Russian President Vladimir Putin are collapsing. For months, it has been reported that Russia has been losing so many troops to the war due to a series of military and logistical planning failures that it has needed to look for alternative sources of labor, even forcing Chechens to go to Ukraine. .
People in the Russian republic of Chechnya have recently begun to say that they are forced to fight in Ukraine against their will, under threats from local authorities who will face criminal charges if they do not cooperate, according to reports from various rights organizations. humans.
According to U.S. National Intelligence Director Avril Haines, the Russians have also resorted to hiring Russian-backed mercenaries from the private contractor known as the Wagner Group.
And just last week, Ukrainian fighters effectively destroyed a Wagner Group fighter unit, except for a few survivors, according to the SBU.
In all, the Russian army has lost 30,500 troops since Putin started the war in February, almost 100 days ago, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff.
Russian forces have encountered other roadblocks in recent days and have had particular problems obtaining adequate supplies and food and are now resorting to dog food, according to messages among Russian fighters intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence.
High-ranking Russian army officers are also becoming less and less captivated by the war. Two Russian colonels were caught in an intercepted phone call that spoke ill of Putin for his plans in Ukraine and for all the losses of the Russian army.
“There are horrible losses of our boys, shit,” one of them allegedly said in the call, according to a recording shared by Ukrainian intelligence.
Low morale comes as many countries work to increase pressure on Russia and further isolate Moscow from the rest of the world. The European Union announced on Monday that it plans to partially ban Russian oil imports in a move aimed at restricting Russia’s available funds to support the war in Ukraine. Russia’s stock market has been falling as a result of the news.