Hunger, desperation and chaos are now said to be gripping Vladimir Putin’s invading forces, with Ukrainian intelligence claiming some Russian soldiers are so starved they are talking openly about eating their own comrades.
According to Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, intercepted radio communications from the Zaporizhzhia region reveal chilling conversations among Russian troops discussing cannibalism as food supplies run dry on the frontlines.
In one intercepted broadcast, a Russian soldier was reportedly heard declaring: *“We’ll eat each other, it’s all ***ed up here. We’re already looking for someone younger. I’ve sharpened my knives. I don’t give a **** who I have to cut up. I just want to eat.”
Ukrainian officials say Russia’s forces have been plagued by chronic supply shortages throughout the invasion, with soldiers increasingly forced to fend for themselves. Earlier this year, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Russian troops were paying out of their own pockets for basic necessities including gas canisters, meat, grains and cigarettes, or relying on supplies sent from home.
The GUR says conditions are now particularly dire for Russian units operating in Zaporizhzhia, where shortages have reportedly reached a critical point. In its latest update, the agency stated: “Due to a lack of food, the occupiers are sharpening their knives and preparing to eat their younger comrades.”
Further intercepted audio recordings appear to underline the severity of the situation. In another transmission, a Russian soldier was reportedly heard complaining: “Gas canisters are not issued, f**k. What we get is canned meat, grains and cigarettes, and that’s it, nothing else. The rest we have to buy with our own money or people send it from home.”
The Ukrainian intelligence agency claims cannibalism is no longer an isolated incident. It alleged that in June this year, a serviceman from the 68th Motor Rifle Division of the Russian Armed Forces had been eating one of his comrades for a period of two weeks.
In a pointed message aimed directly at Russia’s hungry troops, the GUR reminded them that surrender could offer a way out. “The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reminds [you that] Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine are fed three times a day,” the agency said, alongside instructions on how to safely surrender.
As Russian morale reportedly deteriorates, Ukraine continues to strengthen its defences. New footage has emerged showing expanded defensive lines in the Zaporizhzhia region aimed at preventing further territorial gains by Putin’s forces.
Ukraine’s defence minister Denys Shmyhal said construction work is ongoing across all front-line regions. He revealed that Ukraine has already built 2,130 platoon strongholds, around 1,864 miles of anti-tank ditches, more than 621 miles of barricade pyramids, approximately 9,942 miles of Egoza razor wire barriers and roughly 2,672 miles of low-visibility obstacles.
Meanwhile, Russian forces appear to be resorting to increasingly unconventional tactics. Footage circulating online shows tanks fitted with metal sea containers, believed to be an attempt to protect vehicles from Ukrainian drone strikes. In one clip, a tank is even seen dragging a container across a field to deploy it for what Russian forces describe as “military purposes”.
As the war drags on, intercepted communications suggest that while Ukraine fortifies its positions, desperation and hunger may be turning inward among Russia’s invading troops.
