A Ukrainian woman carries her child to safety while Russian soldiers patrol in a street of Mariupol during a lull in fightingAn intercepted call between a dispirited Russian soldier and his irate mother has revealed how troops are being encouraged by their families to kill civilians and even children, according to the Ukrainian authorities. The phone call, tracked by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and published on its Telegram channel, provides an insight into the pressure young Russian men are being put under to keep fighting the war against “fascists”, it said. Sponsored“Son, don’t be down,” the mother of the soldier says. “If you only saw what they are doing, you’d know you were doing great work over there. Don’t forget it, and tell everyone the same.”The soldier appears perplexed by his mother’s characterisation of the war.

Source: The Times April 21, 2022 08:36 UTC