Putin’s war descends into farce as hapless conscripts dumped

A new series of videos from the Russian frontline in Ukraine has exposed the desperate situation for many of Vladimir Putin’s conscripts. One video shows a tense confrontation in Russia, taking place in Ardatovsky, some 360 kilometres east of Moscow. In the clip, shared on social media this week, a local official tries and fails to reassure conscripts that they “are not cannon fodder, but trained soldiers”.The video, which is dated October 25th, shows the official – the head of the district – also telling the conscripts that they had five minutes to say goodbye to their loved ones.The conscripted soldiers respond furiously to the official, with one dad of two walking up to the official to vent his anger.The Russian father is filmed responding: “We are cannon fodder! We are!”Pointing to a man in crutches, he adds: “You b******! This guy’s an invalid.JUST IN: Russian soldiers warns ‘f**kload killed’ every day in leaked call Videos have exposed the desperate situation for many of Vladimir Putin’s conscripts (Image: IG) A group of conscripted soldiers claims that they have been dumped in Ukraine without any commanders (Image: RFE)”And me? I have an 8-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter. It’s all empty words.”Another man in the crowd then shouts: “You f*****!”In another video, a group of conscripted soldiers claims that they have been dumped in Ukraine without any commanders.One of the troops complains that they do not even know “where the enemy is, or where our troops are”. Another video shows a tense confrontation in Ardatovsky, some 360 kilometers east of Moscow (Image: RFE)He tells the camera: “We’ve been Kalashnikov rifles and bayonets, that’s it.”There’s no information, no commanders.”In a third frontline video, a fed-up conscript reports: “This is the frontline, there’s no supply, no ammunition, no grenades, no food, no water.”DON’T MISS:70,000 flee Kherson in ‘civilian exodus’ as Putin prepares withdrawal [LIVE BLOG]King has ‘no plan to cut number of working royals’ in surprise U-turn [INTERVIEW]Russian soldiers warns ‘f**kload killed’ every day in leaked call [VIDEO] Shoigu said that the country’s partial mobilisation of reservists announced in September has ended (Image: RFE)A fourth video, shot in Crimea, shows troops bizarrely mowing land, as one troop questions: “This is combat training before going to the front.”Why are we going there? To dig, to mow, or to defend the motherland?”Speaking on Friday, Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said that the country’s partial mobilisation of reservists announced in September ‘has been completed’ and ‘no further measures are planned’.Speaking at a meeting with Vladimir Putin broadcast on state television, Shoigu said 82,000 mobilised recruits were in the conflict zone and a further 218,000 in training in barracks.The mobilisation effort has largely been seen as a desperate effort to halt Kyiv’s counteroffensive with poorly trained troops.READ NEXT:70,000 flee Kherson in ‘civilian exodus’ as Putin prepares withdrawalUkraine begs for blankets and generators to survive winterUkraine destroys more than 300 Iranian kamikaze dronesRussia’s anti-satellite threat brings West ‘to brink’ of escalationCleverly slaps down Putin as Russian leader gives rambling speech