Putin’s soldiers are increasingly complaining about leadership

Berlin “They call people meat.” With these words, survivors of the Russian 155th Marine Brigade recently angrily addressed the governor of their home region. 300 comrades died in just four days in a senseless and poorly planned attack in Ukraine, they wrote in the letter, which was made public in early November.

The soldiers are just cannon fodder for the commanders, the letter goes on to say, which also caused a stir in Russia. What’s more, their superiors are said to have falsified reports and concealed the actual number of casualties. The reason the soldiers assume: the hope of their commanders for bonuses and medals.

The allegations made in the letter cannot be independently verified. But the events and allegations described seem plausible. The story of the 155th Marine Brigade is not the only one that highlights Russia’s disastrous military leadership in the Ukraine war.