Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations on Monday tried to weave an intimately personal picture of the human cost of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine — the cost to the Russians themselves.
Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya shared text messages he described as the final words of a Russian soldier to his mother in an exchange that took place shortly before the soldier was killed in unclear circumstances during military operations.
Kyslytsya, who is already becoming known for his passionate advocacy for his country, read the messages as part of a speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
“‘Why has it been so long since you responded? Are you really in training exercises?’ asks the mother of the killed soldier, moments before he was killed,” Kyslytsya said in Russian as a woman’s voice interpreted.
“‘Mama, I’m no longer in Crimea. I’m not in training sessions,’” the ambassador read.
“… Mama, I’m in Ukraine. There is a real war raging here. I’m afraid. We are bombing all of the cities together. Even targeting civilians.
“‘We were told that they would welcome us. And they are falling under our armored vehicles. Throwing themselves under the wheels and not allowing us to pass. They call us fascists.’”
Ukraine's Ambassador to the UN read out text messages between a Russian soldier and his mother moments before he was killed. He read them in Russian.
"Mama, I'm in Ukraine. There is a real war raging here. I'm afraid. We are bombing all of the cities…even targeting civilians." pic.twitter.com/mLmLVLpjCO
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) February 28, 2022
Time magazine’s Vera Bergengruen later shared an image of the screen shot Kyslytsya read from.
Here's a transcript of a Russian soldier's last text messages to his mother that Ukraine's Ambassador to the UN just read out from screenshots at the emergency session of the UN General Assembly pic.twitter.com/j8fTAz3xwr
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) February 28, 2022
Some Russian conscripts have been recorded on video saying they were tricked into participating in the invasion, and the morale of some Russian forces is low, according to Newsweek.
Kyslytsya also made a sharp allusion to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in reference to Putin’s decision to place Russian nuclear weapons on high alert.
“We have been prompted to call for an emergency special session as the level of the threat to global security has been equated to that of the Second World War,” he said, at about the 7:20 mark in the video below.
“Or even higher, following Putin’s order to put on alert Russia’s nuclear forces. What madness!”
“If he wants to kill himself… He doesn’t need to use nuclear arsenal. He has to do what the guy in Berlin did, in the bunker. In May 1945,” he said, in a reference to Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler.
Reports from Ukraine indicate that Russian forces have incurred serious casualties, losing tanks and aircraft. Ukraine has claimed 3,500 Russian soldiers have been killed, according to The Associated Press.
Kyslytsya accused the Russian military of attacking kindergartens and hospitals in their invasion, an act he likened to war crimes.
“Hospitals and biomedical brigades are also targeted by the Russian shelling,” he said.