A speech by Alexander Borodai, a member of the Russian parliament and a participant in the war in Donbas since 2014, has leaked online, addressing the so-called Russian volunteers. He openly referred to them as "second-rate soldiers" and "surplus people," used solely to exhaust Ukrainian defenses. According to him, the hundreds of thousands joining the Russian army are ballast, incapable of productive activity.

This may explain the dismissive attitude toward Russian soldiers, who are sent into "meat grinder" assaults with little regard for casualties, despite official claims of their importance. Borodai holds significant positions in Russian power structures, so his description reflects the real view of Russia's leaders on the situation.

He claims this approach is necessary while Russia prepares for a more serious offensive from the rear. The only question is, knowing these facts, will ordinary Russian men continue to endure being treated as expendable, or will this issue eventually come to the surface?

Translation and description text by WarTranslated (Dmitri)