‘150,000 Men Will Be Thrown In’ – Russian Soldier Reveals Fears of ‘Huge’ Ukrainian Crimea Liberation Force

In the call, released by Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR), the soldier says that the AFU are “preparing something huge” and three waves of Kyiv’s troops will try to retake the peninsula.

September 11, 2023

People enjoy a boat tour on the Black Sea off Sevastopol, the largest city on the Crimean Peninsula and its most important port and naval base, on July 16, 2022. Olga MALTSEVA / AFP

A Russian soldier has been overheard expressing terror at what he calls a “huge” force of Ukrainian tanks and 150,000 soldiers being prepared to liberate occupied Crimea

In an intercepted phone call released by Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR), the serviceman tells a friend that he has heard reports of three divisions of troops and materiel being prepared by Kyiv to retake the peninsula.

“I heard that again these motherf***ers are preparing something,” he says.

“Well, f**k, three divisions, 100 thousand people. They are coming from training.

“All these tanks, all that they have prepared, will be f**king thrown in now. They want to recapture Crimea.”

https://t.me/DIUkraine/2832

Revising his initial estimate up to 150,000 Ukrainian troops, he adds: “Three divisions are being prepared.

“The first two are offensive and the third will be a sweep.”

Having learned of the apparently critical situation facing Russian forces on the frontlines, the soldier’s friend tries to comfort him, saying that Moscow also has reserves, yet this does little to calm the soldier down. 

“Well, we have a little bit of reserve,” he says. “It seems that personnel are being trained in Chebarkul (the training base for the special forces of the Russian Armed Forces).”

It’s not clear where the Russian soldier has heard of such a force poised to take Crimea and in a recent interview with Ukrainian TV host Natalya Moseychuk, President Zelensky said he hopes that there will be no direct confrontation between Russian and Ukrainian troops in Crimea

Zelensky signaled a nuanced shift in Kyiv’s stance on the Russia-occupied Crimea, saying he believes if advancing Ukrainian forces reach the northern border of the Black Sea peninsula, the Russian military might eventually leave without a battle.

“If we are on the administrative or conditional borders with Crimea, I believe that it is possible to politically press the demilitarization of Russia on the territory of Ukrainian Crimea. I believe that this would be better,” Zelensky said, in a nationally televised hour-long interview.

Zelensky’s declaration that Crimea, a territory illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and held up by Russian state propaganda as a full-fledged part of Russia never “really belonging” to Ukraine, might return to Kyiv’s sovereignty without a conventional military offensive marked a nuanced – but nonetheless significant – shift in official Ukrainian rhetoric on Crimea.

More than 80 percent of Ukrainian voters consider the Crimea territory that was stolen by Moscow should be returned to Kyiv’s control by armed force.

Both the Zelensky administration and even Ukrainian allies – most recently Polish President Andrzej Duda have in recent months said Russian de-militarization of the peninsula, which is absolutely rejected by the Kremlin, must take place for the Russo-Ukrainian War to end.

Though the intercepted call has not been independently verified, and the exact date when it took place is not known, the situation for soldiers on both sides is difficult as Ukraine’s counteroffensive 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.

Previous calls include:

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/21497

One comment

  1. “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.”

    This is one huge difference between the two forces. The meat puppets can get wasted by BOTH sides.

    Anyway, it would be great to see 150,000 Ukrainians swarm across the battlefield, making sure that the roaches’ worst fears come true.

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