Russian soldiers have been reduced to eating dogs and flu medication to survive on the front lines in Ukraine, according to an intercepted phone call released by Kyiv. In a recording obtained by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency HUR, a woman describes the dire conditions faced by acquaintances serving in the Russian army, who have been abandoned without food in a dugout for more than two weeks.

The unnamed caller is heard saying: “They’ve been sitting in a dugout for two weeks, the food ran out. They ate whatever they had. They even ate Theraflu, Mom.” The intercepted conversation is the latest in a series of similar recordings highlighting the Kremlin’s neglect of its own soldiers. The woman named several men — “Vanya, Dima and Seryozha” — who were trapped in a trench, unable to move or resupply, as Russian commanders failed to provide even basic support.

In a separate call, released by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), another Russian soldier told a comrade stationed in Kherson that they had eaten a Yorkshire terrier to stave off starvation.

He said: “It’s all fcked. Ukrainiains are f***ing beating us like kids. We eat dogs, there’s no food. Today, we ate a Yorkie. A Yorkshire terrier." His fellow soldier replied: “Oh heck. Although that’s an understatement.”

The Russian army’s reliance on poorly trained, under-equipped and often unwilling troops has become increasingly apparent as the war drags on.

Storm-Z units, widely described as “suicide squads,” are typically composed of convicts, military detainees, and penalised soldiers who have been thrown into high-risk combat roles with minimal preparation.

According to the Kyiv Post, soldiers in these units are often denied rotations or support and are left to fend for themselves once deployed.

Ukraine’s defence ministry has repeatedly accused the Kremlin of treating its own troops as disposable.

In many cases, assault units are ordered to press attacks despite overwhelming odds, with commanders sometimes using threats or violence to enforce compliance.

The UK Ministry of Defence estimates that as of March 2025, Russia has sustained up to 900,000 casualties since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Of these, between 200,000 and 250,000 are believed to be fatalities, in what British officials have described as the highest Russian military death toll since the Second World War.

Despite the mounting losses, the Kremlin has continued to push under-supplied and demoralised troops into combat.

Recent Western intelligence reports have also indicated that Russian logistics are under severe strain, with local commanders unable to ensure steady food or ammunition supplies to front-line forces.

In its latest statement accompanying the intercept, HUR said: “For every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people, there will be just retribution.”