Russian soldier recounts harrowing losses after Vovchansk assault

- Out of 46 people, 30 returned. Many brothers died. I apologize to those I did not save - says a Russian soldier of the 138th brigade. Shaking and in tears, he talks about the assault on the Ukrainian city of Vovchansk. His identity has been confirmed.

According to Astra, the soldier in the footage is Yevgeny Zarubin, who permanently resides in Kursk, Russia. In an interview with the portal, he confirmed that he is the author of the recording and previously served in the Wagner group. After the group's dissolution, he was reassigned to train and direct prisoners to assault tasks.

In the footage, the man talks about the consequences of the latest assault on the Ukrainian city of Vovchansk. He adds that only 30 out of 46 people came out unscathed. - Many brothers died. I apologize to those I did not save - states the soldier of the 138th brigade. Many of those who survived were injured.

The Russian is in tears in the footage. He has a bandage on his right hand. The man is trembling, his voice breaking.

At the same time, on Telegram chats and groups belonging to relatives of the 138th brigade's military personnel, dozens of messages are appearing about the search for missing soldiers after the attack on Vovchansk.

"The face of the Russian offensive in Kharkiv. Out of 46 soldiers, only 30 managed, according to Putin's whim, to come out alive from the meat grinder, and many of them were 300*. They fight to the last Russian, exhausting their forces, crying, but like zombies, they continue to march to their deaths," comments Censor.Net editor-in-chief Yuriy Butusov.

*Cargo 300 - a designation for the transportation of wounded soldiers who are unfit for further combat.

According to the British Ministry of Defence, in the past two months, the Russian army has lost over 70,000 injured and dead during the war in Ukraine. "The average daily Russian casualties (killed and wounded) in Ukraine throughout May and June 2024, increased to conflict highs of 1262 and 1163 respectively. In total, Russia likely lost (killed and wounded) in excess of 70,000 personnel over the past two months," reported the British defence department.

Intelligence believes that the increase in Russian army combat losses is associated with opening a new front in the Kharkiv region at the beginning of May. For the next two months, the level of Russian casualties is expected to remain at about a thousand people per day. British intelligence has called May the bloodiest month of the entire war, during which Russia lost up to 37,000 soldiers.