- Intercepted communications reveal the strains on Russian forces pinned down near Kyiv, per the NYT.
- One soldier yelled about a lack of air support as his colleague came under attack, the audio shows.
- It brings light to just one episode in a protracted battle for Makariv, which is still contested.
Russian forces vented their frustration at each other over the airwaves during a protracted battle near Kyiv, audio intercepted by The New York Times reveals.
Radio communications intercepted by the paper appear to recount the tense and confused moments during which Russian troops quarreled with each other as they came under fire in the Ukrainian town of Makariv on February 27.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a Facebook post that a Russian column approached the town that day. Video compiled by the Times from the same locations suggests that the units were attacked and left stranded.
In once instance of the intercepted audio obtained by The Times, a soldier with callsign "Buran-30" became audibly distressed over the airwaves as he came under attack from Ukraine's defending forces.
"My situation is very tense, tanks are approaching," he said, according to The Times' translation. "I don't know whose tanks they are, cannot identify them. There is a drone over the area and the area is under fire from all directions."
Saying he had been under fire on the way to his location, he said he was stuck, according to The Times, and later said: "the boys are suffering." He was advised to request air support, but from the later reaction of his interlocutor "Yug-95," this did not happen, The Times report said.
"Buran-30, this is Yug-95," a Russian military member said over the radio, according to The Times' translation. "You fucking forgot about the fucking air support! You forgot! Over!"
To obtain the recordings, the Times' audio-visual investigators partnered with ham radio operators and open source groups. It verified this material with reference to publicly-sourced video and photo documentation, itself confirmed through geolocation, as well as statements from Ukrainian officials, the paper said.
It's unclear why Russian forces are using unencrypted communications, but it appears to be a regular occurrence, The Verge reported.
The audio brings light to just one episode in a protracted battle for Makariv, a town on a strategic route about 45 km from the outskirts of the capital.
It also appears to bring corroboration to Ukraine's claims of deliberate attacks on civilian structures, with audio of troops discussing attacks on "residential" buildings, The Times reported. Russia has repeatedly claimed it does not strike civilian targets.
On March 12, CNN reported that it had confirmed through geolocation imagery showing significant damage to kindergarten, a medical center, and a residential building.
"Every second house is damaged or destroyed," wrote the town's Chief of Police Andriy Nebytov in a Facebook post on Monday.
While on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials claimed their forces had recaptured Makariv, by Wednesday reporters from The Washington Post observed Russian shelling there, with the town's mayor telling the paper that around 15% remained in Russian control.