"Ukrainian Bullets Found and Shot at Own Legs"… Russian Soldiers Self-Harm to Return Home

Conversation Between Russian Soldiers Obtained

The appearance of a Russian soldier taken prisoner. /Video captured from the Ukrainian military Telegram

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its 23rd day, evidence is emerging that the morale of Russian troops is hitting rock bottom.

According to British media outlet The Sun on the 17th (local time), Russian soldiers fighting inside Ukrainian territory have been reportedly inflicting gunshot wounds on themselves to avoid combat.

This was confirmed through conversations between Russian soldiers obtained by the Eastern European internet media NEXTA.

In one conversation, a Russian soldier lamented, "We are killing civilians, breaking into their homes, and stealing food," adding, "The reality of shooting for 14 days straight is terrifying."

In another exchange between soldiers, it was revealed that "some have shot themselves in the leg to return home."

Another soldier said, "There are people searching for Ukrainian bullets to avoid detection of self-inflicted wounds." He added, "About 120 people have already been wounded this way and evacuated to hospitals."

News of Russian soldiers participating in the Ukraine war experiencing guilt over their actions and a decline in morale has been continuously reported by many foreign media outlets.

According to US CNN, a Russian soldier who was captured after participating in the war said, "Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered us to commit crimes (attacks on Ukrainian civilians). All the crimes we committed will be judged."

Another soldier criticized President Putin as a "criminal," saying, "Putin threw me and my fellow soldiers onto the battlefield to become corpses last week. Putin is a liar. I want to go home. I don't want to be here. I am ashamed," and broke down in tears.

Meanwhile, according to the US daily The New York Times (NYT), US intelligence estimates that Russian forces invading Ukraine have suffered over 7,000 fatalities in less than three weeks. The US intelligence agencies arrived at this estimate by analyzing news reports, Ukrainian announcements (135,000), Russian announcements (498), satellite images, and videos.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.