"Your heroism will disappear once you enter combat for the first time and see your first corpse," a Russian soldier warned as Putin pushes to recruit more soldiers.
A Russian soldier has described the 'living hell' of battling Ukraine (Image: Getty )
A Russian soldier's candid testimony has shed light on the grim realities of combat in Vladimir Putin's forces amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In a viral video, the unnamed serviceman implores potential recruits not to be lured solely by promises of financial gain, cautioning against the dire consequences of joining the conflict for the wrong reasons.
While Putin has refrained from declaring a full mobilization to address the high losses in Ukraine, advertisements offer starting wages of 160,000 rubles ($1,792) per month - more than three times the national average.
Despite these tempting incentives, the soldier, whose identity remains undisclosed, delivered a sobering message urging individuals, particularly those lacking military experience, to reconsider joining the fight merely for monetary gain.
Shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the pro-Ukrainian account War Translated, the video captures the soldier's raw account of witnessing inexperienced recruits dying on the battlefield after joining "for the money" - including a recruit as young as 19 years old, who did not know how to hold, load or take apart an assault rifle.
"You are going to make money," the man said. "You thought it would be easy? F*** no!"
"I just want to explain to people what's happening here," he said, describing a "modern war" characterized by the constant threat of cluster munitions, drones, and shelling.
He painted a grim picture of the horrors endured by soldiers, urging prospective recruits to weigh the gravity of their decisions carefully.
"Your heroism will disappear once you enter combat for the first time and see your first corpse," he said. "It's f****ng scary. It's more than fear—it's horror.
"The heroism, the patriotism is only in the beginning," he continued. "Welcome to hell to the dear brothers who are coming for money, before making an ill-conceived decision like I did, you should think 100 times whether it is worth it.
"Either you're sick of life or you're a total fool; patriotism goes away quickly when you realize you want to live.
"Good luck to anyone who wants to feel the burn of adrenaline; there's lots of it here. But I suggest you don't come; it's not worth it."
He described it as a "really bad idea," especially for those with no experience.
According to Leo Docherty, the British armed forces minister, the U.K. has estimated Russian losses to be at 450,000, encompassing both casualties and injuries. This figure closely aligns with Ukraine's latest update on Monday, reporting a total of 467,470 casualties.
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