1/ The acute exhaustion and demoralisation of the Russians fighting in eastern Ukraine comes across in a vivid description of conditions on the ground, as told by the Telegram blog of a Russian soldier titled, revealingly, 'Groundhog Day'. ⬇️ 
2/ 3 March 2025
"I have not been able to concentrate, sit down and write a note lately. Another hit cuts off the power, so I sit down to try to convey all the feelings of the last few days.
"I have not been able to concentrate, sit down and write a note lately. Another hit cuts off the power, so I sit down to try to convey all the feelings of the last few days.
3/ "It is difficult to say that this is even real. The whole essence of what is happening to us, in general and to me in particular, is expressed easily and simply - a nightmare. No, there is no fear as such.
4/ "It’s just that day and night you sit underground and any attempt to stick your head out and run ten meters is a sophisticated suicide attempt. The sky resembles an international tourist airport – not a single second of clear space.
5/ "Constant shelling by mortars, artillery and tanks. Regular drops and scattering of cluster munitions, sowing all the space around. Go to the toilet? A five-liter bottle, that's it. Warm up the dugout? No higher than 15 degrees, otherwise we start to "glow"[in infrared].
6/ "We are tired. Very tired – to the point of nervous tics, insomnia and swearing.
We are impatiently waiting for them to say that's it, the war is over, we can go out. To be completely frank – we just want to finish all this and go home.
We are impatiently waiting for them to say that's it, the war is over, we can go out. To be completely frank – we just want to finish all this and go home.
7/ "We want to go to a place where we can sleep peacefully, eat and go to the toilet – and where a piece of iron stuffed with explosives won't fly at you and tear you in half.
8/ "That's all the desires we have left after two and a half years. No, we are not your heroes. We are ordinary people of flesh and blood who can also get tired..."
9/ 5 March 2025
"Two o'clock in the morning. I'm lying down, listening to radio reports. I can't sleep.
In the morning we shipped the last of the 200s [dead], on sheer luck and a drop of chutzpah. Then all day our treeline was turned into splinters.
"Two o'clock in the morning. I'm lying down, listening to radio reports. I can't sleep.
In the morning we shipped the last of the 200s [dead], on sheer luck and a drop of chutzpah. Then all day our treeline was turned into splinters.
10/ "We're being taken out as far as we can. We get out on foot, at our own risk. Each explosion leaves a nagging, aching pain in the solar plexus area. Everyone has a headache that never stops, from concussions. This is no longer surprising.
11/ "The cluster shells hit us - we were left without light and communication, all the wires were torn. What can we say about wires when even trees are falling everywhere. One of the local cats was injured - his muzzle and paw were cut open.
12/ "He's sitting, licking himself, next to a bottle of water. Yes, it is impossible to go to the toilet – one man was almost killed today in the ‘lower’ toilet – he came in as if drunk, severely concussed.
13/ "Soon it will be our dugout's turn to leave - I don't know when it will be, but I hope it will be in the next 24 hours. Everyone is exhausted and tired. I can't imagine how we're going to walk with rucksacks on the mud..... But we have to, yeah.
14/ "I'm writing this note in case we manage to get to a safe zone.
I really want to drink and go home. To be honest, I was thirstier – I drank all the water I could. I even dug up the dry showers - there were small bags of water, I managed to get enough water for two mugs.
I really want to drink and go home. To be honest, I was thirstier – I drank all the water I could. I even dug up the dry showers - there were small bags of water, I managed to get enough water for two mugs.
15/ "But what is two glasses for five people?
Nothing.
At seven in the morning there was an 'arrival' at the neighbouring dugout. Everyone is alive, but the entrance is heavily blocked – it takes almost two hours for the occupants to remove the rubble.
Nothing.
At seven in the morning there was an 'arrival' at the neighbouring dugout. Everyone is alive, but the entrance is heavily blocked – it takes almost two hours for the occupants to remove the rubble.
16/ "It is impossible to go out and help, enemy eyes are constantly hanging over our heads....
Evening of the same day. Today's Groundhog Day is not like the others and at the same time - even more similar to all the previous ones.
Evening of the same day. Today's Groundhog Day is not like the others and at the same time - even more similar to all the previous ones.
17/ "We sit on the bags, waiting for the coveted command. The weight of the rucksack is terrifying.....
Here we go.
Here we go.
18/ "The rucksack is abandoned, because there is no strength to move at all - I have only equipment, weapons, and a few small things with me, although only a third of the route has been travelled.
Now - an insanely long wait for my turn.
Now - an insanely long wait for my turn.
19/ "I hope that I will still return home alive. It would be a shame to die at the finish line of this war."
20/ 7 March 2025
"We left. We left under shelling by drones and in pitch darkness. We froze in an icy pit all night. We left. We left, running away from a kamikaze drone and we are heading to a strong point where we will have a short rest from everything.
"We left. We left under shelling by drones and in pitch darkness. We froze in an icy pit all night. We left. We left, running away from a kamikaze drone and we are heading to a strong point where we will have a short rest from everything.
21/ "We are tired, exhausted, there is a ringing emptiness in our heads and drowsiness is rolling in in waves..."
Sources:
🔹 t.me/den_surca/701
🔹 t.me/den_surca/702
🔹 t.me/den_surca/703
Sources:
🔹 t.me/den_surca/701
🔹 t.me/den_surca/702
🔹 t.me/den_surca/703
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