‘I Promise, I’ll Get You Out’: Russian Families Desperately Trying to Get Sons Off the Frontlines

Intercepted phone calls between Russian soldiers and their families suggest mothers are desperately trying to find way to get their sons of the frontlines in Ukraine, urging them to film videos complaining about the conduct of military authorities.

In one call published by Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), a woman says her and a friend are going to a military prosecutor’s office but says the more people that go to protest the better.

“There should be more people with us,” she tells her son, Dima. “If I come there by myself – no one will give a f**k.

“So tell your boys to call their relatives, too. There should be other calls besides one of yours.”

She also urges Dima to record a video in the hope the protest will be more impactful.

“Dima, listen to me carefully,” she say. “You have to record a video with the boys, or guys have to call their wives, and they have to join us in our complaints.”

She doesn't specify what the main message of the video should be, but allegedly, it must be aimed at complaining about the military authorities and their irresponsible decisions.

Dima’s replies apparently can't be heard in this intercepted call.

The mother adds: "You get up and shoot a video, you don't need the Internet for this, then you'll figure out how to send it. The main thing is that there is a video."

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At the end of the conversation, the woman promises her son that she will 'definitely get him out from there'.

“Dima, I told you I'd get you out, do you hear me? Come on, I love you very much, son, I'll get you out for sure.”

In another intercepted call, two women, one of whom is said to be the mother of a Russian soldier as well, discuss how a video made by troops under the command of “Zima” complaining of being “sent to their deaths” has gone viral on gossip websites.

“Hello, hello! How are you doing?” speaker 1 asks.

“Well, today, your guy is getting much attention on all sites. ‘Zima’ (commander of the 3rd motorized rifle brigade) has become famous today. The Russians from Voronezh recorded a video, and the soldiers’ wives wrote a letter stating that he [Zima] was sending them to their deaths,” speaker 2 replies.

“They mentioned that many guys died, and there was no support at all. They also pointed out that all the humanitarian aid was taken, and everything was forgotten when they needed it the most. This news is spreading across all sites and becoming a topic of gossip everywhere,” speaker 2 added.

Additionally, previously released intercepted communications between Russian soldiers and their friends and family have revealed evidence that contracted Kremlin troops have been given orders to wipe out all the soldiers, fighting on the first line of defense if they try to retreat or leave their positions, with paperwork listing them as missing in action (MIA) already having been prepared.

While the exact date of the intercepted call is not known, the situation for soldiers on both sides is difficult as Ukraine’s summer offensive gains momentum.

Ukrainian soldiers have told Kyiv Post they would fight on, but morale has been suffering with no quick end in sight.

However, the release of such intercepted conversations by Ukraine’s intelligence services indicates that Russia’s military finds itself in a much more dire situation, with soldiers coming to fear their own side as much as that of their Ukrainian adversary.