Vladimir Putin’s army drafting retirees, telling conscripts to use tampons for bullet wounds

A video leaked from inside Russia’s dishevelled attempt at war has exposed the embarrassing low leader Vladimir Putin has stooped to.

Putin’s army resembles Dad’s Army. Picture: Viktor Korotaev/Kommersant/POLARIS/Australscope

A video and a handful of photographs from inside Russia’s dishevelled attempt at war has exposed the embarrassing low leader Vladimir Putin has stooped to.

The Russian leader has ordered 300,000 extra soldiers to the frontline but photographs suggest his new recruits might not be war-ready.

Pictures from Sevastopol in Crimea show groups of men — many well into their 50s and 60s gripping weapons and wearing uniforms.

Several appear in questionable fighting shape and have drawn comparisons to the popular sitcom Dad’s Army.

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Mobilised citizens from Sevastopol and the Republic of Crimea on Nakhimov Square. Picture: Viktor Korotaev/Kommersant/POLARIS/Australscope

The men do not appear to be in fighting shape. Picture: Viktor Korotaev/Kommersant/POLARIS/Australscope

At the same time, a video shared on social media shows a Russian officer telling new recruits what to expect — and it is not good news.

“I say right away if you are near the fire, you are f***ed,” she says, before reeling off a list of items they will need to acquire themselves before entering the war zone.

“Take sleeping bags with you, you will sleep where you have to.”

When a soldier asks if they get anything else, the female officer responds: “All the army provides you with is uniforms and armour. There is nothing else.”

She then reveals exactly how stretched Putin’s army has become, advising those new to the fight that they will have to fleece their own first aid kits.

“All this also applies to medicine. Diarrhoea tablets, hydrogen peroxide, tourniquets. I don’t have enough tourniquets for you.

“Ask relatives to send. Gut car first aid kits and take medical tourniquets from there.

“Guys, don’t laugh: ask your wives, girls, mothers for pads. The cheapest pads and the cheapest tampons. Do you know what the tampons are for? You stick it right in the bullet wound and that’s it,” she says.

“The tampon begins to swell and closes the wound. Guys, take care of yourselves if possible, please.”

Unbelievable video. Russian officer telling newly mobilized men they will need to source their own sleeping bags, med packs. Tells them to go buy tampons from pharmacies to use as bandages.
“The only thing the army gives you in uniforms, armor. That’s it.”pic.twitter.com/zwttL586zu

— Patrick Reevell (@Reevellp) September 27, 2022

While thousands of men are recruited to Putin’s war against Ukraine, just as many are fleeing over the border into Georgia.

The Insider in recent days shared a video from a new frontline soldier describing the situation. It offers an insight into why many are choosing to run instead of fight.

“We’ve been told officially that we’ll go to the combat zone without training,” the serviceman says.

“We’re off to Kherson on September 29.”

It comes as Kremlin-backed officials in Ukraine appealed to Putin on Wednesday to annex the regions under their control, after the territories held votes denounced by Kyiv and the West as a “sham”.

Ukraine called on the EU to hit Russia with more sanctions and NATO to send more weapons to the frontline after the Kremlin-installed officials rolled out the alleged results late Tuesday.

Reservists drafted into Putin’s war are pictured on Tuesday. Picture: AFP

Hundreds of thousands of Russian men have been asked to help bolster Moscow's army in Ukraine. Picture: AFP

The appeal came despite repeated warnings from Moscow that it could use its nuclear arsenal to defend the territories from a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has wrested back swathes of territory this month already.

“Ukraine cannot and will not tolerate any attempts by Russia to seize any part of our land,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The United States announced a new package of weapons and supplies Wednesday worth $1.1 billion, including precision rocket systems, ammunition, armoured vehicles and radars.

The European Commission proposed fresh sanctions targeting Russian exports worth seven billion euros, an oil price cap, an expanded travel blacklist and asset freezes.

— with AFP