They began bombing – bam bam bam “- Aftonbladet

A leaked phone call reveals the 80 Russian soldiers died in fighting in eastern Ukraine, writes the New York Post.

In-call describes a Russian soldier how he and his joints were bombed in the city of Luhansk in August.

“I said to my wife: I’m going to war,” said the soldier.

The call was leaked on September 2 of opposition politician Lev Shlosbergs Journal Pskovskaya Gubernia. In the call, telling a Russian soldier how many troops in the Russian Air dressing wounded or killed during an attack in Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in August.

“We went looking for the damn Ukrainians when we are discovered and then, kapow! ” said the soldier.

“They tell us nothing”

“We ran out of the way, there was a field of sunflowers and a checkpoint. they began bombing – bam bam bam” he continues.

80 Russian soldiers died, according to the soldier, who was himself wounded in the attack.

“I heard that only 10 survived,” he says.

In the recorded call, ask a colleague if he was prepared to go into battle.

“Gradually,” said the soldier. “They tell us nothing. They said we were off on an exercise., I knew where I was going and said to my wife: I’ll go to war”

The message crushes Putin’s assertions that no Russian units participated in fighting in eastern Ukraine. The president has consistently denied any involvement in the conflicts, but agrees that single people riding into the country to fight as mercenaries.

“Could be authentic”

A claim should be taken with a grain salt, according to Fredrik Westerlund, security policy analyst at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI.

– It is clear that Russian troops fighting in eastern Ukraine. Putin insists that they are voluntary. Meanwhile, there have been claims that soldiers become ordered or pressured to take leave of absence to write a contract with the People’s Republic of Donetsk, Luhansk, he says.

The recorded call is one of many clues that indicate that the Russian authorities give orders to his own forces to fight, he says.

– I absolutely believe that this conversation may be authentic. Ukraine should reasonably have technology that can record these kinds of calls. It strengthens the suspicions that existed, says Fredrik Westerlund.

In August arrested 10 Russian paratroopers in eastern Ukraine. During interrogation, the soldiers claimed that they were in place for an exercise and that they were totally unprepared for the real battle. Russian authorities deny that their units are taking part in the fighting and have argued that the ten paratroopers accidentally ended up on the Ukrainian territory.

Increased frustration

Although it announces independent Russian media about how many soldiers returned home in coffins.

– the probability is quite high that Russian soldiers have died. But Putin would admit it’s not likely. He will deny involvement as long as possible, says Fredrik Westerlund.

now increasing frustration among relatives in Russia, which receives very little information about what happened to their loved. During the Twitter hashtag # gruz200 they try to find out how many Russians who actually died in the fighting.

– A lot of families do not get more information than that their son or husband has died. Russian authorities have no obligation to notify where they died. At the same time, they can always say that the information from the west to Russian soldiers killed in fighting in the Ukraine is a part of a smear campaign – and the relatives may never know.

“Get that supports a war”

And Putin’s denials are likely to continue, says Fredrik Westerlund. As long as the Russian authorities claim that they do not participate in the fighting, the president will be able to dodge stiffer penalties from the outside world.

– If he admits that Russia conducts war sanctions would definitely escalate. But perhaps even more important factor is that the Russian people do not want their country to engage in a war in eastern Ukraine. It is a very small part of the Russian population who support such a war.