Russian civilians are becoming increasingly frustrated with the country’s oligarchs, according to an intercepted call released by Ukraine's Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR).
In the eavesdropped conversation, a man accuses them of profiteering from the full-scale invasion of Ukraine while President Putin is powerless to do anything about it.
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"Putin asked the rich for fucking money, 200 billion to replenish the treasury,” he tells his friend.
“They didn't give him a f**king thing. They refused. I just watched a program about it.”
Speaking further, he becomes enraged at what he sees as Russia’s elite profiteering from the war.
"F**k, the war is not ours, it's just f**king dividing the land [between them]. We weren't f**king needed there."
"This is how they play with toys and earn money. There will be more billionaires, and that's it.
“You see, he [Putin] doesn't even attack them much.”
The man’s concerns are not unfounded – a report by Proekt and reported by Le Monde in August found “almost half of Russia's wealthiest people are war profiteers.”
It described how 81 of the richest 200 people in Russia owned companies use to “supply components, equipment or fuel either to the Russian armed forces or to arms factories.”
The man in the intercepted call goes on to suggest the only way these oligarchs will ever change is if the war affects them in the most direct of ways.
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“Yes, they may wake up if the rocket hits them seriously at least once. “ he says. “But they don't give a f**k, they have all their property abroad, mother**kers.
“They don't give a fuck about the people.”
Though the intercepted call has not been verified, analysis of such conversations by Ukraine’s intelligence services indicates that Russia’s military finds itself in a dire situation in the face of Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive.
Previous calls include:
- '150,000 Men Will Be Thrown In’ – Russian Soldier Reveals Fears of ‘Huge’ Ukrainian Crimea Liberation Force
- 'We Lost 600 Men’ – Russian Reveals Horrific Losses and Behavior On Frontlines
- ‘All Our Guys Were Slaughtered’ – Intercepted Phone Calls Suggest Huge Russian Losses
- ‘He Started Shooting Us!’ – Intercepted Phone Call Reveals Russian Friendly Fire Incident
- ‘We’ll Tear You Apart’ – Ukrainian Soldiers Are Trolling Russian Commanders on Telegram
- ‘War Until 2026’ - Russian Soldier Claims He’s Been Told To Expect 3 More Years of Fighting
- ‘Trucks Full of Corpses’ – Intercepted Phone Call Suggests Massive Wagner Losses
- ‘All Our Boys Are Rotting’– Intercepted Phone Call Suggests Heavy Russian Causalities Near Antonivsky Bridge
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