In an interview with Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov, two Russian soldiers said that they feel they’re being rejected by Muscovites.
“Indeed, while on the metro, people distance themselves, uttering, ‘Ew, murderer,’” one of the soldiers said.
Pegov, the founder of the pro-invasion military blog WarGonzo, posted his interview with the soldiers on his Telegram channel.
“You go on the metro, and people stare at you because you wear a uniform. Again, I didn't go voluntarily, I received a summons and came to the military enlistment office. I didn't run away or hide like you. I acted like a law-abiding citizen. But when I come on holiday, they point fingers at me,” the soldier said.
The soldier said that Muscovites ask him why he couldn't evade the draft.
“And as it is widely known that Muscovites consider themselves 'better, smarter than others,’ they usually ask me ‘Why couldn't I avoid getting drafted?’ like ‘Why didn't I move somewhere abroad?’...Yes, and this is disgusting,” he said.
Wearing a Russian uniform in Moscow proves to be inappropriate and contentious, as it incites finger-pointing and evident condemnation on people's faces.
Nevertheless, the scenario differs for military personnel in smaller cities distant from the capital.
“When I first went to Novosibirsk, I felt relieved because individuals there treated people like us with respect, unlike in Moscow. It's quite saddening,” the other soldier said.
As well as interviews like that above, intercepted phones calls published by Ukraine’s military intelligence have provided numerous insights into the situation faced by Russians over the last few months, particularly soldiers.
Some of the more interesting ones include:
- ‘Putin Has Never Been Worse’ – Some Russians Are (Privately) Talking About an Uprising
- ‘We’ll Tear You Apart’ – Ukrainian Soldiers Are Trolling Russian Commanders on Telegram
- ‘Trucks Full of Corpses’ – Intercepted Phone Call Suggests Massive Wagner Losses
- ‘War Until 2026’ - Russian Soldier Claims He’s Been Told To Expect 3 More Years of Fighting