Russian marines sent to their deaths ‘to boost generals’ reputations’

‘We have lost about 300 men in four days. The district’s command is covering up the losses’

RUSSIAN marines have lashed out at their commanders in a written letter for forcing them into “another dubious attack” in which hundreds of soldiers were killed.

The attack, outside the town of Pavlivka in the Donetsk region, was made without proper planning and decimated a Pacific Fleet marines brigade, the Russian troops complained.

Russia’s defence ministry on Monday rejected the reports, insisting the brigade lost “no more than 1 per cent” of its personnel – about 30 people.

Authorities in Primorsky Krai, Russia’s region on the Pacific, published three videos showing soldiers who claimed to be fighting in the area in order to help quell speculation that a brigade had been decimated.

“We only just got connected and saw that you worry about us: Yes, things are tough in Pavlivka,” a group of soldiers, their faces blurred, said. “There have been losses, killed and injured but we keep pushing the enemy out.” The video was published after several prokremlin journalists published a letter from members of the Russian Pacific Fleet’s 155th Brigade who hit out at the Primorye authorities after they were ordered into a disastrous offensive.

The marines criticised their commanders for abandoning them and throwing the troops into “yet another dubious attack for the general to score more points with his bosses at the General Staff ”.

They added: “As a result of an offensive that was ‘carefully’ planned by ‘great warriors’ we have lost about 300 men killed, injured and missing in the space of four days.”

“This is our brigade alone … the district’s command is covering up the losses, fearing responsibility.”

The marines’ letter placed the blame on the generals. “They don’t care about anyone. All they want is to elevate themselves. They call people cannon fodder,” the letter said.

Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the far eastern Primorsky Krai region, who yesterday released the videos of the alleged marines playing down the losses, promised to get the complaints investigated by the military prosecutors even though he suggested the actual losses were “nowhere near as high as described in the letter”.

Reacting to the marines’ complaints, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, called on Russians to go further and protest “not from under your duvet but in the street, against those in Moscow”.

Russian losses in Ukraine have been mounting in recent days.

On Monday alone, more than 700 Russian troops were killed, mostly in areas around Bakhmut and Avdiivka, Ukraine’s General Staff said yesterday.

Estimates of the casualties are, however, difficult to verify.