Ukraine: Russian Troops Disobey Orders To Shell Towns, Intelligence Suggests

Russian troops taking part in the invasion of Ukraine have reportedly been left in tears by orders to bomb civilian areas and have even disobeyed central command, according to a new report.

The intercepted radio messages, obtained by a British intelligence company, include orders regarding the shelling of Ukrainian towns and complaints over the lack of supplies. One video reportedly shows troops walking back across the border.

'The only thing I want right now is to kill myself,' one soldier is said to have written in a text to his mother.

This comes after a senior Pentagon official's claims that the Russian Armed Forces is comprised of young conscripts who've been 'ill-prepared' for the invasion, with some reportedly 'deliberately punching holes' in fuel tanks to ensure their vehicles didn't reach the heat of battle.

In one recording, a soldier on the ground is told about plans to 'cover the town with artillery fire', at which point he reminds the presumed commander that civilians need to leave the town first, and disobeys the order. In another recording, the same man who requested the shelling can be heard shouting, 'We've been here for three days! When the hell is it going to be ready?'

The material, which hasn't been verified, was obtained by ShadowBreak. 'What we have found is that the Russian operatives are operating in complete disarray. They have no clue where they are going and how to really communicate with each other properly,' its founder Samuel Cardillo told the outlet.

'There were periods where we heard them [Russian soldiers] crying in combat, a period where they were insulting each other – obviously not a sign of great morale. There was an instance where they shot at each other, there was an instance where they had to transport dead bodies back to their forward operating bases. Many times you can hear them not at their highest level of happiness.'