Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR) has released what it says is an intercepted phone call suggesting Russian troops are mistakenly killing their own soldiers, amid confusion, poor coordination and fear on the battlefield.
In audio posted on Telegram, a voice describes shooting a person who approached his position, only to later realize it was a fellow Russian soldier.
“A guest came to me just now, I had to take him out – turned out it was one of ours,” the man says in Russian.
According to the HUR, the exchange highlights a breakdown in communication between Russian units, where a lack of coordination and heightened paranoia have turned soldiers into threats to one another.
In the same conversation, another voice asks over the radio: “What’s the callsign and where is he from, who is he?”
The shooter responds: “He didn’t say a word, not a single word, he just sneaked up to me here, so I took him out.”
Another participant suggests the victim may have been attempting to reposition: “You see, he decided to move his position on his own and came to you.”
The HUR said the intercepted call reflects conditions at Russian positions where fear and disorganization are so severe that any movement in the dark can trigger deadly fire from fellow troops.
Russian communications
In 2023, Kyiv Post interviewed a woman working as a “professional eavesdropper,” listening in on Russian communications intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence.
“Maria” – not her real name – said that the “insane” things heard in intercepted calls are, in fact, real despite their often outrageous nature.
“They all are real even though they might seem insane. Sometimes I can’t believe the words I’m hearing myself, but we have what we have,” she said.
Kyiv Post regularly reports on intercepted Russian communications. Some of the most shocking examples include claims of cannibalism, Russian soldiers driving tanks into the countryside in search of vodka, and the chaotic aftermath of the Russian military’s loss of Starlink access.