600 Russian Soldiers Resign Over Unpaid Special Pay For Ukraine Invasion: Report

Hundreds of Russian troops have resigned from the war in Ukraine after the military leadership failed to give them the special pay they were promised if they joined the invasion.

In a phone call intercepted by Ukrainian officials, a Russian soldier was telling his mother that they were fed up with waiting for the payouts. The soldier added that at least 600 people from their brigade have resigned from the war.

“There is such f**kery going on here, I’m telling you, 600 people have resigned from our brigade throughout this time, well about that much, give or take. Everyone is going home, they are just dumping their stuff and saying, ‘I’m going home’ and then leaving,’” the soldier said.

“There were rumors that they would pay (us), I thought 200,000 would be on my card, because so much time has already passed, and they didn’t pay a damn thing. Only the basic pay came.”

When the soldier’s mother offered to send him a flask of alcohol, the soldier dismissed his mother’s suggestion and argued that the “management” divvied up the packages up amongst themselves.

A fellow soldier from his unit said he received nothing from a package that his relatives sent him. The package had money, the soldier added.

In another intercepted phone call released by Ukraine’s Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko, a man believed to be a Russian soldier complained that his fellow troops are “starting revolts” after they were not given the “enormous cash payments” they were promised.

“Everyone is outraged, entire battalions are starting revolts. The commanders promise us that they are giving us their word,” the soldier said.

The newly released phone calls come as reports emerge of Russian President Vladimir Putin planning to gather more Russians to outnumber Ukrainian soldiers in the eastern part of Ukraine, which is purported to be the Kremlin’s next target.

It is believed that, as part of that effort, officials have posted billboards on public transportation in Russia that offered “short-term contracts” with the country’s armed forces.

As the war continues, a video showing a Russian tank blowing up the country's own armored vehicles and soldiers went viral on social media. The video was taken by a Ukrainian surveillance drone near the village of Dmytrivka.