Russian Soldier Admits They're 'Killing Civilians And Children' In Intercepted Call

KEY POINTS

Russia's forces were killing civilians and children in Ukraine, a Russian soldier told his mother
The mother did not believe her son's claims and insisted they were fighting "Nazis"
Around 2,104 civilians, including 170 children, have been killed in Ukraine

A Russian soldier revealed that his country's forces were killing civilians and children in Ukraine, but his family dismissed the claims and tried to convince him that they were killing "Nazis."

The soldier made the claims during an intercepted call with his mother, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU said in a statement.

However, the woman did not believe her son's claims.

"No, you do not kill civilians and children... You kill the Nazis, f**k, believe me!" the mother said in a 28-second clip of the conversation released by the SBU.

"Son, don't lose your fighting spirit... You know you're doing a great job," she added.

The mother's statements were not surprising as more than 70% of Russians support the invasion of Ukraine, noted the SBU.

"They trust the television more than their occupying sons," the agency said.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 to "denazify" its neighbor, but the Ukrainian government was not a fascist dictatorship, neither was it associated with the Nazis.

Around 2,104 civilians in Ukraine got killed while 2,862 more got injured due to the conflict, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Tuesday in its latest civilian casualties report.

Among the fatalities were 170 children, the OHCHR stated.

The actual figures could be "considerably higher" since the transmission of information from some locations had been delayed while many reports were still pending verification.

Russian forces have repeatedly been accused of attacking civilian targets in Ukraine, such as schools, hospitals and residential areas.

They have also been accused of massacring civilians in areas they previously occupied, like in Bucha, a Ukrainian city littered with the dead bodies of at least 500 people in the wake of Russia's retreat.

Russia denied it was targeting civilians and claimed it was not responsible for the Bucha killings.

Ukrainian prosecutors are now investigating Russia's alleged war crimes, while the International Criminal Court has also launched its own investigation on the accusations.