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WARNING: Some viewers might find the descriptions in the article distressing.
A newly released recording has offered a raw glimpse into the human cost of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The audio, shared by Ukraine’s military intelligence, reflects how the conflict is filtering back into ordinary Russian homes.
The intercept does not show the battlefield directly. Instead, it captures a secondhand account, relayed by a soldier’s mother to a friend, of what her son allegedly witnessed and recorded while serving at the front.
A voice from home
Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR) published the intercepted phone call on Friday, Dec. 12. In it, a Russian woman recounts what she says her son showed her on a video from the war zone.
“Alyosha came home… Mom, do you want me to see the video? He just opened it, and I said, ‘Oh my God.’ Chunks of flesh are lying around… legs separate, heads separate – it’s like a slaughterhouse, a dump,” the woman said according to Kyiv Post.
“One head is lying there, eyes open.”
She goes on to describe bodies scattered in trenches, expressing anger at the official language used to describe the war. “This is what they’re doing – a dump, damn it, a f***ing special operation. Especially, do you know where [the remains of bodies]? In the trenches. It’s as if someone dumped it from a truck,” she added.
The recording does not specify where or when the footage was taken, and the recording has not been independently verified.
Losses and pressure
While such calls cannot be independently verified, analysts say they align with broader assessments of the war’s intensity.
Independent monitoring suggests Russian forces are operating under severe strain, with high casualty rates and mounting psychological pressure.
Past reporting underscores why intercepted calls remain a key source.
In a 2023 Kyiv Post interview, a professional Ukrainian eavesdropper known as “Maria” said the disturbing nature of such conversations reflects reality.
“They all are real even though they might seem insane. Sometimes I can’t believe the words I’m hearing myself, but we have what we have,” she said.
Sources: Kyiv Post, Institute for the Study of War, British Ministry of Defence
