“Just skin and bones.” Russian soldiers complain that hunger is paralyzing units at the front. The intercepted conversation reveals the scale of the logistics breakdown
According to a leaked telephone conversation obtained by Ukrainian military intelligence, Russian soldiers complain that they are starving on the front in Ukraine. A recording published on Tuesday, February 3, on the YouTube channel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (HUR) suggests that Russian troops are rapidly losing weight due to lack of food and water.
“Military intelligence has received further confirmation the collapse of the logistics system of the Russian army. “Infantry units have long been without adequate food and supplies,” HUR said in a statement.
In an intercepted conversation, one of the Russian soldiers emotionally describes his situation, saying that his unit is short of food and water and that he has lost so much weight due to exhaustion that his uniform “hangs on him like it's on a hanger.”
— But how is that possible? We don't eat, we don't drink… If I turn sideways, you won't even notice me. The uniform is hanging on a hanger! – says the soldier.
“Fuck, now I'm just skin and bones – and only the beard somehow saves the situation, at least I can be noticed,” he says.
His interlocutor says that he saw a photo of a soldier with a beard and noticed his clearly poorer physical condition.
The article continues below the video
Already in March 2025, the spokesman of the Third Assault Brigade, Oleksandr Borodin, said that Russian forces in the Kharkiv Oblast were struggling with serious supply shortages.
– They're starving there. They don't have drinking water, Borodin said then. – It is worth emphasizing that the command is aware of these problems. They know the infantry will last a few weeks and they don't mind. There is a backup system. They calculate how many soldiers they will lose, even within a week, he said.
Russians left in 'death zone'
In October 2025, the British newspaper “The Telegraph” reported that Russian soldiers left in the so-called “death zone” on the Dnieper River they are dying of hunger. This is a chain of low-lying islands south of Kherson that are surrounded by open water, making the soldiers visible and easy to target.
The newspaper's sources indicated that the extremely difficult conditions made the supply of food and ammunition, as well as the rotation of troops in the region, an extremely difficult challenge for Russia.
— The prisoners that our soldiers recently captured on the islands said that it was impossible to provide them with food and drinking water, so they had to drink water from the river, said Colonel Oleksandr Zavtonov of the 30th Marine Corps.
Ukrainian intelligence suggests that 5,100 Russians have died in the Dnieper Delta since January last year, some of them starving.
Moreover, last October, the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade of Ukraine published a video containing testimonies of Russian soldiers who surrendered.
One of the prisoners admitted that the Russian army provided almost no foodwhich caused some soldiers to starve at the front. “I saw five comrades dying of hunger in the nearby forest,” he said.
Ukrainian military intelligence recalled the “I want to live” program, under which “every Russian soldier who does not want to be cannon fodder has a chance to save his life.” To do this, he should report his willingness to surrender through a special bot on Telegram.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
