Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Pjotr Sauer

‘End justifies the means’: high Russian death toll fails to shift opinion on Ukraine war

Three destroyed Russian tanks pictured from above
Destroyed Russian tanks in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. According to western assessments, 115,000 Russians have been killed in the war so far. Photograph: Vladyslav Musiienko/Reuters

Huddled in an undisclosed location near the frontlines, the two Russian soldiers appeared desperate as they recorded what they feared might be their final message.

Introducing themselves as Vyacheslav Trutnev and Dmitry Ostrovsky, from the 132nd Brigade of the 109th Regiment, the men recounted how they fled their position in eastern Ukraine after their company commander ordered them to advance at night through minefields to a new location, a move they called a “suicide mission”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.