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Apr 15 11 tweets 3 min read Read on X
1/ Russian tank crews are being sent to their deaths en masse in infantry assaults, according to a Russian soldier's plea for help. With tank use now severely limited due to drone strikes, their crews appear to be surplus to requirements. ⬇️
2/ A Russian soldier writes to the warblogger 'Voenkor Kotenok':

"Hello. I can't help but tell you what's really going on in the tank battalion of the 110th Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces (formerly the 100th Brigade of the DPR People's Militia).
3/ "Basically, tanks are now hardly taking part in direct combat, and so every two to three weeks, two men from each company in the battalion are drafted into the infantry and sent to assaults, to fortified positions, to support UAVs.
4/ "The companies no longer have three platoons; they exist only on paper, but in reality, all the soldiers were sent to the assault, were killed, or went missing. Now it's time for the 2nd Platoon.
5/ "They recently announced that they were training two more men for the infantry... The tankers are disappearing ingloriously.

Then, most likely, the battalion will be abolished on paper. If there are no men, there will be no tanks, no battalion.
6/ "How can this be stopped? How can this fact be made public? People are ready to go into battle and defend their homeland. But I consider it a crime to waste the lives of tankers like this. After all, tankers are not infantry.
7/ "It's easy to send a tanker to the infantry, but try to quickly turn an infantryman into a tanker, train him, put him in a tank, and go fight the enemy! Try it!
8/ "I beg you, whoever is responsible for this, to stop this outrage and the destruction of our tankers through your own absurd actions. I appeal to the Minister of Defence, to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief [i.e. Vladimir Putin]. I ask for your intervention.
9/ "After all, it's an illegal practice to send tankers who have seen combat since the beginning of the Special Military Operaion, who have invaluable experience in tank combat, who know a tank like the back of their hand, who have orders and medals, to assault units.
10/ "These are just a few of the names of the tankers killed and missing in action [who were] recently sent to assault units:

Mikhailov;
Babenko;
Ulyanov;
Soldatov;
Khomyakov;
Isakov;
Poklad;
Nikiforov;
Baychevsky;
Nosovitsky
Popov.
11/ "While I was writing this message, I received information that literally all tankers were being thrown into the assault. A couple of men were left to guard the tanks. The rest [have been told]: forward, everyone, everyone, everyone." /end

Source:
t.me/voenkorKotenok…

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More from @ChrisO_wiki

Apr 17
1/ The Russian MOD's reported decision to block the supply of drones to frontline troops and reserve them solely for the Unmanned Systems Forces continues to cause consternation among Russian warbloggers. Former drone pilot Andrey Filatov predicts disastrous consequences. ⬇️ Image
2/ Writing on Telegram, Filatov says:"Judging by rumours and the shortage of drones, there is a sense that Mr. (or whatever title the reader prefers) Krivoruchko, First Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, wants to take drones away from frontline units,…
3/ …thereby effectively destroying the personnel trained at the cost of enormous losses on the front lines.
Read 31 tweets
Apr 16
1/ Russia is reported to be sending reserve troops to Ukraine, even as its recruitment efforts are faltering. Recently posted videos suggest that reservists are being transported in handcuffs, and men who have lost legs and arms are also being sent into assaults. ⬇️
2/ @ChristopherJM reported today that according to Ukrainian GUR head Vadym Skibitskyi, Russia is preparing for a fresh ground assault with the transfer of 20,000 reserve troops to Ukraine.
3/ The 'Combat reserve' Telegram channel has posted a video (see at the top of this thread) showing handcuffed men in what appears to be a tent. One man complains to a man adjusting their shackles about his difficulty in lying down to sleep.
Read 13 tweets
Apr 16
1/ The distinguished Russian scientist Robert Nigmatulin says that Russia is "heading for disaster—a double-digit economic decline". In a speech at the International Economic Forum in Moscow, he has highlighted Russia's economic failings and called for urgent changes. ⬇️ Image
2/ Nigmatulin is an academician of 35 years' standing at the Russian Academy of Sciences, and a prominent Russian scientist, academician, and public figure who specialises in mechanics, physics, and mathematics.
3/ His speech is summarised by blogger Alexey Zhivov:

"He stated that per capita income in Russia is the lowest in Europe. Not just low, but lower than in the poorest regions of China.
Read 16 tweets
Apr 16
1/ Russian warbloggers are baffled and aghast at reports that the Russian Ministry of Defence will ban the issue of drones to combat units, and will keep them for its new Unmanned Systems Forces instead. If carried out, the consequences are likely to be drastic. ⬇️ Image
2/ The Russian MOD established its Unmanned Systems Forces (BPS) in November 2025. To the concern of many commentators, it appointed Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Vaganov to command the new force, despite his lack of formal military education or prior service experience. Image
3/ Vaganov has earned the unofficial callsign 'Toilet' for his previous career as a seller of plumbing fixtures. He became a monopoly supplier of FPV drones to the army after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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Apr 15
1/ A prominent Russian warblogger and Ka-52 helicopter pilot appears to have killed himself after posting an apparent farewell video on Telegram. 'Voivode', real name Alexey Zemtsov, says he has committed suicide due to pressure from his superiors. ⬇️
2/ Zemtsov is a Guards Senior Lieutenant in the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) and administrator of the Telegram channel 'The Voivode Broadcasts', which has about 152,000 followers. He has been a prolific warblogger, but his criticisms caused serious problems with his superiors.
3/ He has published a farewell post on his channel, saying in a series of videos that he has "exercised the right of his last officer's honour" (i.e., decided to commit suicide) and declaring that "I won't be able to survive this disgrace". He explains his reasons.
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Apr 15
1/ In this third part of his exposé of how organised crime has taken over the Russian army in Ukraine, Russian journalist Sergey Komkov highlights how Russian commanders are now "jumping to the tune of robbers and murderers." ⬇️ Image
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