“An army of idiots and traitors,” “FSB-blevasbe,” “cocky paratroopers”: Correspondence from a Russian general on the war, intelligence services, and prisoners of war
Source: “Schemes” (a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty project)
Authors: Valeria Yegoshina, Elizaveta Surnachova, Kira Tolstyakova
Through sources within the military, “Schemes” gained access to a large dataset—gigabytes of text messages and voice messages—belonging to a high-ranking Russian military official, Major General Roman Demurchiev.
Currently, as deputy commander of the 20th Combined Arms Army within the Russian Armed Forces’ “West” Group, he helps command subordinate troops stationed, in particular, along the Lyman sector in Ukraine.
This is a critical and challenging section of the front line. Therefore, drawing on a large body of Demurchiev’s correspondence and conversations dating back to the full-scale invasion, “Schemes” decided to investigate how individual units of the Russian Armed Forces live and fight. To understand the logic behind their actions and decisions, to document alleged crimes, identify those responsible, and, using one army as an example, understand Russia’s overall military strategy.
And although Demurchiev’s conversations are private, they are in fact testimonies to the brutal torture and murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war—acts that the civilized world classifies as war crimes. They also shed light on the real state of affairs in the Russian army—problems with command and logistics, the treatment of its own soldiers, cronyism, and even possible corruption.
“Schemes” also shared the materials with colleagues from the “System” project (a joint project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and “Nastoyashchee Vremya”), which specializes in Russia. However, the journalists did not take into account correspondence on intimate topics, drunken conversations with other high-ranking military officials, numerous tragicomic everyday situations, or bribes in the form of a jar of caviar.
How did “Schemes” verify the authenticity of the data set from Demurchiev’s phone?
Who is Roman Demurchiev
? Roman Demurchiev is 49 years old. He is originally from Kazan, in Tatarstan. He is a graduate of a military academy and a veteran of the two Russian-Chechen wars.
He is now a major general, following a decree by Russian President Putin in 2023.
In 2024, Demurchiev’s military career took another upward turn. He announced this in his voice messages in May 2024, specifically:
“They want to appoint me as deputy commander of the 20th Army. Mityaev is pushing for this, Senkov is pushing for this (Oleg Senkov, major general, former commander of the 1st Army Corps of the ‘DPR’ group, later—Chief of Staff of the 20th Army of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.), f**k. When the document arrives, I’ll go there. Honestly, f**k where I have to go—even to Antarctica, I don’t give a f**k, f**k, even to Kyiv in an BMP.”
That’s exactly what happened—but not “to Kyiv in an BMP.” After all the back-scratching, he actually got the position.
“And f**k, they appointed me deputy commander. The commander is a f**king idiot, a stupid f**k, a b**ch, scared for his own ass, damn it. He sent all the deputies—us—to the ‘front lines,’ damn it.”
Relations with the leadership at his new post clearly didn’t go well right from the start.
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, a major general and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces With “Mityaika” (Oleg Mityaev, Lieutenant General of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.), damn it, the army commander, we even almost got into a fight once. Yeah, f**k, he yells, screams—he’s a loudmouth. He can go to h**ll.
Now Demurchiev is helping the new commander—Roman Yurchenko—lead the troops subordinate to the 20th Combined Arms Army, part of the Russian Armed Forces’ “West” Group.
“They’re all a**holes, but they get all the medals.” Demurchiev’s revelations about the Russian
army “You f**king bugs, I know everything about everyone, f**k, I’m living your lives, f**k.”
This voice message was recorded in May 2024 by Demurchiev, a high-ranking Russian military officer. In it, he boasts about his level of knowledge regarding internal processes within the Russian Armed Forces. Judging by the volume of correspondence analyzed by “Schemes,” he does indeed know a great deal about the inner workings of the Russian military.
For example, here’s how he comments on the Russian military training system:
Demurchiev addresses Mikhail Kosobokov, commander of the 49th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces: “It’s not the General Staff Academy—it’s the f***ing Staff Academy, for f***’s sake. I just want to piss in their mouths so they choke on paratrooper piss, f**k.”
And here, he describes the preparation of Russian soldiers immediately before battle:
Demurchiev addresses Sergei Medvedev, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “People show up, we bring them in at night, and in the morning—off to battle. Training is nonexistent; they’re ‘collective farmers’—no one gives them time to train.”
Judging by the recordings, the general “knows everything” about specific branches of the military:
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the Russian
Armed Forces’ 58th Army “There’s no fucking fun in this war—they’ve brought in this bunch of cocky paratroopers.”
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, a major general and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces: “The Marine Corps is also a fucking rooster-run operation, for f**k’s sake.”
And regarding the Russian Armed Forces in general:
Demurchiev addresses “Greek,” an employee of the FSB’s
military counterintelligence service: “They just f*** around, but they get all the medals, f***ers. I just want to get the hell out of this army, out of this f***ed-up war. Liars, assholes, and cowards.”
In his correspondence with various interlocutors, Demurchiev also speaks bluntly about the work of Russian special services—such as the FSB and the Main Directorate of the General Staff (better known as the GRU):
“And here we have the FSB—‘bluvasbe,’ f**k—it’s a sh*thole. It doesn’t even, f**k, do anything to defend us. All they can do is keep track of who’s screwed up the most. F***ers, they don’t have a f***ing shred of malice.”
“The other GRU commanders—they’re mice; they can go f*** themselves.”
By virtue of his position, the general is well-informed about the latest developments in the Russian military-industrial complex:
“Poseidon” (Russia’s latest nuclear submarine-launched weapon—ed.), f**k, it doesn’t work for us; it’s not even f**king finished yet. Well, this stuff is classified (the data—ed.), but I’ll let you in on it…”.
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “I, like an idiot, f**k, only have one ‘Orlan.’ In the ‘Orlan-10,’ I’ll barely be able to see a nuclear explosion, if there even is one.”
And he generously dishes out assessments of many influential Russian military figures:
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, Major General and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces “Actually, Teplinsky (Mikhail Teplinsky, then commander of the Russian Armed Forces’ Airborne Troops—ed.) deserves to be pissed on; he thinks he’s such a big shot, f**k.”
“That Mongol (Oleg Vlasov, commander of the 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.) is a f***ing, f***ing brigade commander. General, f**k, four ‘Orders of Courage,’ f**k, Hero of the Russian Federation. He’s gotten a bit chubby. That’s you, I think, you bastard.”
The general not only freely discusses various topics but also shares classified information because:
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, major general and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces “No one will ever know about this voice message I’m sending you right now. Over and out, I love you, f**k, no matter what.”
Demurchiev and the head of the Department of Social and Political Work of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Major General of Justice Sergey Petrov
Demurchiev and the head of the Department of Social and Political Work of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Major General of Justice Sergey Petrov
Cut-off ears and prisoners—“gifts” for the FSB
In the Third Army Corps of the Ukrainian Defense Forces—whose soldiers have fought or are currently fighting against units of the Russian Federation’s 20th Army on their assigned section of the front—soldiers told “Schemes” about their battles with them.
“They can be considered the elite—or rather, they consider themselves the elite. If my memory serves me correctly, the 20th Army consists of 40,000 servicemen. Ever since a unit of the 3rd Assault Brigade shifted its operations from Avdiivka to the Borivka sector, they have been our main adversary to this day,” says Ivan Starostenko, call sign “Kipish,” commander of the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Third Army Corps.
Ivan Starostenko, commander of the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Third Army Corps
Ivan Starostenko, commander of the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Third Army Corps
Journalists from “Schemes” asked him to listen to one of Demurchiev’s voice recordings, in which he is presumably talking about the fighters of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade at that time.
“They fired off about two echelons of shells. If you’d seen this strongpoint on video—f**k, France held out less in the f**king during the ‘Great Patriotic War’ than this strongpoint. There’s not a single safe spot left. There aren’t even, f**k, any tree branches left there. Everything’s been uprooted. Everything’s on fire. And the “Ukrop” guys are coming out of the trenches to put it out, f**k, and frying eggs over the fire. Can you f**king imagine that? We need to write a letter to Zelenskyy to have them awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, f**k. We’re freaking out about what’s going on there. And our bodies are lying there, f**k, near that strongpoint, f**k.”
“This refers specifically to our brigade. They were talking about the “Pavlograd” position, which fell directly within the area of responsibility of the 1st Mechanized Battalion. West of the town of Novovodyane and north of the town of Makiivka. As a company commander at the time, I was surprised that planes were dropping KABs on an infantry position—about 10 KABs were used to destroy it. During daylight hours that day, I counted 78 barrel artillery strikes and 65 strikes from 120-mm mortars. And the ones listed below are from 82-mm mortars, AGS, FPVs, and drops from “Mavics”—we didn’t even count those.
The “Pavlohrad” position held its ground for 2.5–3 months. There was a particularly difficult moment when four enemy soldiers got within striking distance of the “Pavlohrad” position, where our artillery could no longer operate effectively, because there was a risk of hitting our own soldiers. So the infantry was left face-to-face with the enemy, supported by drones. At that critical moment, I saw one soldier, like Rambo, leap out onto the dugout, grab a machine gun, and simply start firing at the enemy,” said Ivan Starostenko.
“I’ve never seen anything like that in war. He repelled that attack and was wounded by a bullet. This is already his sixth bullet wound. The soldier is undergoing long-term treatment—and will return to the front lines. That’s if you can single out some kind of romantic, heroic story about a soldier. But overall—it’s entirely thanks to the infantry. Indeed, he (Demurchiev in the audio recording—ed.) points to the number of corpses—there were a huge number of them. Because, for example, there were days when our battalion eliminated 260 soldiers in a single day,” Starostenko added.
The journalists played another audio recording of a Russian general for the military officer to listen to.
Demurchiev addresses Oleg Senkov, a major general and former chief of staff of the 20th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “He (he—Oleg Mityaev, then commander of the 20th Army of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.) tells me: ‘F**k, 48 hours—you won’t take the ridge —I don’t see you in the army anymore; write a report. If you don’t write a report, I’ll kick you out in disgrace.” F**k, what kind of disgrace could he kick me out with? What a f**king. Of course I’m not going to write a report—what am I, a monkey? But I feel kind of uneasy about this, f**k. And we can’t move forward because, f**k, as always, the reason is FPV and drones.”
“The ridge is most likely the high ground that runs along the western side of the Zherebets River, near Novovodyane in the Donetsk region. The enemy was actively storming that height at the time; they needed to take it. Their tactics were quite simple—actively pounding the area they intended to storm with firepower. Then silence—and the enemy’s reserves would launch their assault. Why did this lead to such anguish in their voice communications and such heavy losses? Because at that time, the 3rd Assault Brigade had, first and foremost, a highly effective UAV component operating at a very high level. “We did everything we could to ensure that our personnel did not engage in close combat with the enemy,” said Ivan Starostenko.
So what was happening on those sections of the front where Demurchiev’s units were operating?
The general’s communications, which journalists have examined, demonstrate that brutality is tolerated in the Russian Armed Forces—and not only toward opponents on the battlefield. For example, Demurchiev reacts approvingly to a video of the “interrogation” of a live mouse that had been crucified. It was sent by another commander—Mikhail Kosobokov, commander of the 49th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation’s Southern Military District.
The general sent this photo of severed human ears strung on a string to both his fellow soldiers and his wife.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (nickname: “Warrior”) and his wife, Alexandra Demurchieva (nickname: “MTS Cat”)
Warrior: My spirits are up!
MTS Cat: I thought these were just tall tales from the Chechnya
days Turns out it’s true
So what are we going to do with them next?
Warrior: I’ll string them up as a garland and give
them as a gift MTS Cat: Like pig ears with beer
Warrior: Yeah
Roman Demurchiev with his wife
Roman Demurchiev with his wife
The general’s wife thought these were “tales from the Chechen war,” but the soldier’s other conversation partner—at that time the chief of staff, first deputy commander of the 36th Army, Major General Igor Timofeev—recognized a familiar practice.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Igor Timofeev—Major General, Chief of Staff, and First Deputy Commander of the 36th Army of the Russian Armed Forces (“Timofeev2”)
Warrior: No casualties
on our side. The scouts took them all out.
Timofeev2: 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Soldier: 4 prisoners.
Timofeev2: Didn’t touch their ears?
Like when we were kids?
Soldier: The Germans launched a counterattack, the b*stards—they’re going to retake the strongpoint. That’s good. I’ll kill
them all (Sends a photo of severed ears to the chat)
Recent
ones Nothing changes. Only time—and we’re getting
older They’re withering
away Timofeev2: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!
Clearly, he’s referring to Russia’s wars against Chechnya as “childhood,” since both Demurchiev and Timofeev took part in them. Numerous international organizations have documented cases of extrajudicial executions, torture, and maiming—including the cutting off of ears—during the Russian invasion of Chechnya.
“Schemes” has reported on similar cases of torture committed by the Russian military since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in its previous investigations. Specifically, in September 2022, journalists published a report in which, in a conversation intercepted by the SBU, Russian soldier Stanislav Shmatov told his father that a Ukrainian prisoner of war in the Borova area of Kharkiv Oblast had his ear cut off, because “he didn’t want to talk.”
During the period mentioned by Demurchiev—namely, the fall of 2022—the Russian 42nd Motorized Rifle Division, which he was still commanding at the time, was deployed on several fronts—in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
“Schemes” found no further information regarding such cases of torture—which could have been investigated—in the general’s correspondence. Only positive reactions from his correspondents to the photo showing severed ears.
And, judging by Demurchiev’s correspondence, this is a widespread practice not only among Russian military personnel but also among law enforcement officers.
Demurchiev writes to one of his correspondents:
“Valery Nikolayevich, damn it, you’re already the boss, already a respectable man. Moscow should be on its knees before you. You’re the boss of a super-organization—the one of my dreams. Damn, and you cut off ears. But at our age, people don’t do that anymore; they just give orders for someone else to do it. If it happened, it was done well, I’m sure. This is just between us. I’m proud of you.”
Who is he talking about, and what is this “dream organization” Demurchiev is referring to?
Demurchiev continues:
“And I thought your office was untouchable, like members of parliament. And your employees even end up in jail? Didn’t you go through special screening? Are you just running amok? F**k, s**t. And they didn’t take me into your agency, f**k.”
“Valery Nikolayevich” is listed in Demurchiev’s records with the last name “Nepop.”
Demurchiev addresses “Nepop”
“You are a secret officer—brave and honorable.”
In Russian database leaks, journalists managed to find only one person with that full name—he studied at the Ryazan Airborne School, just like Demurchiev and his interlocutor “Nepop.”
And in phone books, he is listed as “Valery FSB” and “Valera Vympel”—which is one of the most secretive and elite units of the FSB’s special forces.
He is not the only intelligence officer with whom Demurchiev is in contact. For example, an FSB officer with the call sign “Greek”—also known as Roman from military counterintelligence—regularly receives prisoners from the general, who refers to them as “gifts.”
Demurchiev addresses “Greek,” an officer with the Russian
FSB’s military counterintelligence division: “I have one prisoner; I can give him to you as a gift. There he is, sitting there, f**k, in a pit. What should I do with him—‘dispose’ of him or give him to you?”
After some thought, “Greek” agrees to take the prisoner along with the interrogation transcript, but Demurchiev clarifies:
Demurchiev addresses “Greek,” an officer of the Russian
FSB’s military counterintelligence “But we didn’t have time to just torture him, so the information—taken with a grain of salt—is 90% true. But you’ve got plenty of time, so you can bring in all kinds of tools, f**k, that force a person to tell the truth.”
Thanks to a photo of the captive that the FSB officer sent to Demurchiev, “Schemes” was able to identify him—a 42-year-old volunteer from Zaporizhzhia. The soldier spent over a year and a half in captivity—including time in a pretrial detention center in Altai. In the summer of 2025, he was exchanged and returned home.
Journalists reached out to the former captive through his relatives, asking to speak with him. However, he declined to discuss the torture he endured in captivity on camera due to his still-precarious physical condition. According to him, he was severely beaten and subjected to electric shocks at the time.
But he wasn’t the only soldier taken prisoner that day.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and an FSB military counterintelligence officer (“Greek”)
Warrior: There was another one. He didn’t make it. Son of a b*tch
Greek: Right
. I’m personally in favor of “disposal.”
Otherwise, we won’t defeat them.
Warrior: 👍
Greek: If their parents are alive, or they have brothers or sisters,
then we need to work with them.
To extract
information. Warrior: That’s how I understood it. How else? This is the only way. Well
done.
Working with the relatives of prisoners of war with the aim of recruiting them is also standard practice.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and an employee of the Russian FSB’s military counterintelligence (“Greek”)
Greek: We really need “fresh” prisoners to work with their parents...🙊
If any suddenly become available—my people are in Tokmak, and they’ll pick them up right away.
Warrior: I had six guys recently. If only I’d known.
It may seem that the Russian intelligence officer, contrary to his own beliefs regarding—quote—“disposal,” is opposed to the general killing prisoners.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and an employee of the Russian FSB’s military counterintelligence (“Greek”)
Warrior: I’ve got two “blues” in my basement (presumably referring to fighters from the Ukrainian Defense Forces—ed.). Do you need them? Or should I finish them off...
Greek: We need them!
Who should I call?
But that’s not the case.
Correspondence between Demurchieva (“Warrior”) and an officer of the Russian FSB’s military counterintelligence (“Greek”)
Greek: We’ve got a case.
Confidential
Warrior: Ready
Greek: There are a few a**holes who were caught red-handed at hideouts with IEDs (improvised explosive devices—ed.)
They’re being held by us…
Real members of the cell… (presumably referring to Ukrainians engaged in resistance in the occupied territories—ed.)
But we can’t put them on trial…
There’s a proposal to let them work for you for a few days digging foxholes and trenches.
And just leave them there.
Forever.
Are there any reliable people?
People who don’t talk?
And make sure my colleagues (from military counterintelligence) don’t find out.
Soldier: Yes
I guarantee
it. Greek: Thank
you. Warrior: No one will find out. I give
you my word. Division Commander
🥰 Greek: Thank you, Roman
. Warrior: Thank
you. The caviar is being prepared
Want me to give you the barrel?
Murder of prisoners
of war In his correspondence, Demurchiev often writes about Ukrainian prisoners of war, whom they regularly torture and kill. They speak of this as if it were an everyday occurrence.
Demurchiev addresses “Greek,” an employee of the Russian
FSB’s military counterintelligence “Yesterday in Novoprokopivka and Verbove (Zaporizhzhia Oblast—ed.), they captured a prisoner—some kind of rude ‘Ukrop,’ about 30 years old, with a radio, apparently the commander of an assault group. Well, yeah, he was reluctant to talk, so his soldiers f***ed him up, f***, in the trenches.”
But it’s hard to determine who they are and what actually happened to them—there’s not enough information.
But one thing is clear—Demurchiev’s subordinates are acting on their commander’s orders:
“I’m gonna f*** them all up soon, f***. No prisoners—that’s it, I’m not taking a single f***ing prisoner; I’ll finish them all off, f***. Those f***ers pissed me off; f*** them all.”
“I’m not taking any prisoners; first I’ll f*** them up, then I’ll shoot them, and then I’ll burn the f*** out of them.”
Next is a video of events from mid-December 2024, filmed by a Russian military thermal-imaging drone near Makiivka. It shows Ukrainian soldiers who have surrendered—as the video clearly shows, they are standing with their hands raised. What follows are the actions of the Russian military.
Such actions not only violate the rules and customs of war set forth in the 1949 Geneva Conventions but also the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It states that a commander is responsible for the crimes of his subordinates if he knew or should have known about them and failed to take the necessary and reasonable measures to prevent them or punish those responsible (Article 8—ed.)
However, Russia withdrew its signature from the Rome Statute back in 2016.
Screenshot from a video showing the execution of Ukrainian prisoners
of war Screenshot from a video showing the execution of Ukrainian prisoners
of war So what was Commander Demurchiev’s reaction when his subordinates reported to him that a war crime had, in fact, been committed? He went to “inform” his superiors. He made a special point of emphasizing that the prisoners of war had been executed.
“They took them at night. Well, I reported it to you. Two ‘convicts’ went to the strongpoint, to the position—there were three ‘Ukrainians’ there.” They took them prisoner and hacked them to death with shovels—damn it, animals, f**k them. Look, f**k, an execution with entrenching shovels,” says Roman Demurchiev.
– And then what, was there an airstrike on the “prisoners,” or what? Here’s the latest video—is that some kind of explosive device or something?– asks Oleg Mityaev, lieutenant general of the Russian Armed Forces.
“Maybe they chopped them up first and then blew them up, for f**k’s sake?” another Russian Army servicemember, unidentified by “Schemes,” joins the conversation with a laugh.
Did the commander of the Russian Federation’s 20th Army—who was General Mityaev at the time—look into what happened? Was there any reaction? Yes, there was:
Oleg Mityaev addresses Demurchiev
“Roman Gerodotovich, the ‘convicts’ who took the position and hacked them to pieces with shovels—God willing, they’ll survive—make sure to submit them for awards. Keep pushing them back quietly, good job. Good job, keep pressing, keep crushing those bastards, f**k.”
Journalists identified the Ukrainian Armed Forces unit whose captured soldiers were killed by Russian troops. The unit confirmed the massacre of the prisoners and added: according to their intelligence, the “convicts”—as the Russian soldiers themselves referred to them in conversation—were soldiers from the “Black Mamba” of the 252nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, part of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of Russia’s 20th Combined Arms Army.
Demuurchiev’s correspondence with General Popov
, who was convicted in Russia Perhaps the general and his inner circle have more empathy, at least toward their own subordinates? According to the conversations analyzed by journalists—no.
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “I f**ked over Samarin (commander of one of the regiments—ed.). Samarin is pissed off, says he has four groups of 14 people each, assault troops. All “cons.” He set up a blocking detachment and said, ‘No one’s getting out of there alive, f**k it, s**t.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m f**king sick of all this s**t. Let’s do it, f**k it.” In short, either we win, or no one the f**k gets out of there, f**k it. That’s the decision. We’re f**king sick of this humiliation, these insults, this being treated like s**t. They just got to the edge, f**k, and are standing there—their legs won’t move. Over there, the assault squad commander “beat the s**t out of” two of his own men. One f**k—they won’t move, they’re chicken.”
Demurchiev and his interlocutor are discussing the military strategy of Vitaly Samarin—at that time, the commander of the 291st Motorized Rifle Regiment within the 42nd Division.
However, the discussion of specific military matters doesn’t last long—the generals quickly shift from strategies to personal conversations and plans.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces (“KA SAR”)
KA SAR: You’re unlikely to drive them out.
Warrior: I know
I want
to go to Leberdon (a resort area in Rostov, short for “left bank of the Don”—ed.) forget all this
. KA SAR: I want to go with you, too.
Not just forget, but never think about it again.
I want to get out of here, too. I’m sick of everyone.
I want a f***ing vacation!
Warrior: Me too
. KA SAR: I don’t have the courage to take that step.
I can’t and won’t stay in this army with them. Not at all.
Warrior: 🤝
KA SAR: Lying ass-kissers.
Demurchiev’s interlocutor is another Russian general, Ivan Popov.
He commanded the 58th Army, which included the 42nd Division, then still under Demurchiev’s command.
Colleagues from “Schemes” on the “System” project—who specialize in Russia, covering everything from war crimes investigations to corruption—are currently conducting a separate investigation into General Popov’s activities and his ties to Demurchiev. “Schemes” shared a large volume of correspondence with them.
“I would say that the Russian Federation’s offensive in the Kharkiv region in 2022 was Popov’s first known operation. He did indeed command part of that offensive. In other words, he reached the peak of his career during the Russian-Ukrainian war. Sometime in March 2023, he was promoted to major general and became commander of the 58th Army. This is also a very well-known military unit. His first major assignment in his new position was the Zaporizhzhia sector, just as a Ukrainian counteroffensive was being prepared there. So this was a very important mission. At that time, the Battle of Robotyne was underway. And in July 2023, the young general’s brilliant career came to an abrupt end. He was relieved of his command. He later recounted that he had attended a meeting with Gerasimov —the head of the Russian General Staff. At this meeting, he reported that they needed more troops, that there were too many casualties, and that they were running low on weapons. And, according to his account, that’s exactly why he was dismissed,” says Yelizaveta Surnachova, a journalist for “Sistema.”
Two generals—Demurchiev and Popov—openly discuss in private conversations the state of affairs in the Russian Armed Forces and influential military commanders.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces (“KA SAR”)
Warrior: Lamin (Denis Lamin, commander of the 58th Army after Popov—ed.) is screaming like a fool in a fit of hysteria
He’s just getting in the way and causing tension. That f**king bastard
has pissed me off. KA SAR: A rag
. Warrior: At 9:00 p.m. yesterday, Demchenko (Alexei Demchenko, then commander of the 71st Motorized Rifle Regiment, part of the 42nd Division—ed.) to the Chief of the General Staff (CGS—ed.)
KA SAR: Demchenko is a good-for-nothing.
Soldier: The Army Commander (ed.) is covering for him. He asked me not to f**k with him. Just between us.
I’m going to f**k with him anyway. He’s a total drag
SAR Commander: Where are the shells?
Let Lyamin call his buddy Gerasimov (Valery Gerasimov, General of the Army, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces—Ed.).
Soldier: He won’t call
. KA SAR: Loser.
Soldier: I can already tell the Chief of Staff is going to pull some shitty stunts. He’ll come to his own conclusions in that brain-dead head of his 🤣
Fuck them all
KA SAR: I can even feel this shitty atmosphere right here.
Soldier: How are things with Serdyukov (Andriy Serdyukov, Colonel General, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 2023—Ed.)?
He’s a FREAK
, too KA SAR: Nothing so far.
I don’t even want to have anything to do with him.
Kapliy (Igor Kapliy, Major General, was Serdyukov’s successor as commander of the 76th Guards Airborne Assault “Pskov” Division, a cadet at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.) is a dumb animal.
They’re both a match for each other.
Dumb as a cork, but he’s the chief of staff for the entire group. That’s a f**king disaster.
Warrior: 😳😳😳😳F**K!!!! Kapliy is the epitome of stupidity and idiocy!!!!
KA SAR: Dvornikov (Alexander Dvornikov, former commander of the Russian Federation’s Southern Military District—ed.) kicked him out of the district, and Teplinsky kicked him out of the Airborne Forces.
Who’s in charge here???
An army of morons, sycophants, and cowardly traitors.
Soldier: Serdyukov and Kaplii—they’re a sandwich of arrogant
morons
In their conversations, Demurchiev and Popov often use colorful epithets when describing the state of affairs in the Russian army. Hoping that this will remain just between them.
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “Well, this is also just between us—I’m asking you in general, otherwise… Well, you understand, it won’t be nice for me to look you in the eye. I’m sharing this with you as I would with an older brother.”
But even throughout 2023, when Popov had already been removed from command of the 58th Army, Demurchiev continued to report to his former superior almost every day:
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “It’s just a f**king mess. No communications, no command, a total f**king disaster.”
“We’re watching, standing guard, scared, and shivering.”
Apparently, Popov is already bored in Syria at that time (where he was sent to serve after being relieved of his command) and sends Demurchiev photos of the coast, food, drinks, and so on.
Even from abroad, the general is actively following news from the front—at that time, Demurchiev’s units were still stationed near the village of Robotine in the Zaporizhzhia region. In 2023, the Russian Federation’s army suffered significant losses there.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces (“KA SAR”)
Warrior: Yesterday’s toll: 70: 17–200, 27–300, missing in action—165.
F**k. But that’s all 200, I think
The 70th command post was flattened with “chemical bombs” and shrapnel. They got
hit hard. KA SAR: 165 missing?????
Soldier: Yeah. But I’m 99% sure they burned
to death. Yesterday was hell
. KA SAR: Holy shit!
How’s Kleshch holding up?
Soldier: Kleshch committed suicide.
Kleshch is Ivan Yurievich Kleshcherov—a fellow officer of Demurchiev, commander of units within the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division. Since 2023, – “Hero of the Russian Federation,” a title General Popov apparently helped him secure. At least, that’s what he claims.
Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces, addresses Demurchiev
“I don’t want to take any credit for myself, but this is the reality. That f**king Klezh is only climbing the ranks thanks to me, f**k, and he only got that ‘Hero’ title (Hero of the Russian Federation—a state award in Russia—ed.) thanks to me, f**k. He didn’t even realize that, f**k. Half of my fucking time went into making calls—damn it—to Moscow, to the Presidential Administration, to the fucking Federation Council, to Pankov, f**k, to Nikolai Aleksandrovich (then State Secretary—Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation—ed.). All so that Kleshcherov could become a Hero of Russia, f**k, with his gladiators, f**k.”
Authors: Valeria Yegoshina, Elizaveta Surnachova, Kira Tolstyakova
Through sources within the military, “Schemes” gained access to a large dataset—gigabytes of text messages and voice messages—belonging to a high-ranking Russian military official, Major General Roman Demurchiev.
Currently, as deputy commander of the 20th Combined Arms Army within the Russian Armed Forces’ “West” Group, he helps command subordinate troops stationed, in particular, along the Lyman sector in Ukraine.
This is a critical and challenging section of the front line. Therefore, drawing on a large body of Demurchiev’s correspondence and conversations dating back to the full-scale invasion, “Schemes” decided to investigate how individual units of the Russian Armed Forces live and fight. To understand the logic behind their actions and decisions, to document alleged crimes, identify those responsible, and, using one army as an example, understand Russia’s overall military strategy.
And although Demurchiev’s conversations are private, they are in fact testimonies to the brutal torture and murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war—acts that the civilized world classifies as war crimes. They also shed light on the real state of affairs in the Russian army—problems with command and logistics, the treatment of its own soldiers, cronyism, and even possible corruption.
“Schemes” also shared the materials with colleagues from the “System” project (a joint project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and “Nastoyashchee Vremya”), which specializes in Russia. However, the journalists did not take into account correspondence on intimate topics, drunken conversations with other high-ranking military officials, numerous tragicomic everyday situations, or bribes in the form of a jar of caviar.
How did “Schemes” verify the authenticity of the data set from Demurchiev’s phone?
Who is Roman Demurchiev
? Roman Demurchiev is 49 years old. He is originally from Kazan, in Tatarstan. He is a graduate of a military academy and a veteran of the two Russian-Chechen wars.
He is now a major general, following a decree by Russian President Putin in 2023.
In 2024, Demurchiev’s military career took another upward turn. He announced this in his voice messages in May 2024, specifically:
“They want to appoint me as deputy commander of the 20th Army. Mityaev is pushing for this, Senkov is pushing for this (Oleg Senkov, major general, former commander of the 1st Army Corps of the ‘DPR’ group, later—Chief of Staff of the 20th Army of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.), f**k. When the document arrives, I’ll go there. Honestly, f**k where I have to go—even to Antarctica, I don’t give a f**k, f**k, even to Kyiv in an BMP.”
That’s exactly what happened—but not “to Kyiv in an BMP.” After all the back-scratching, he actually got the position.
“And f**k, they appointed me deputy commander. The commander is a f**king idiot, a stupid f**k, a b**ch, scared for his own ass, damn it. He sent all the deputies—us—to the ‘front lines,’ damn it.”
Relations with the leadership at his new post clearly didn’t go well right from the start.
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, a major general and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces With “Mityaika” (Oleg Mityaev, Lieutenant General of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.), damn it, the army commander, we even almost got into a fight once. Yeah, f**k, he yells, screams—he’s a loudmouth. He can go to h**ll.
Now Demurchiev is helping the new commander—Roman Yurchenko—lead the troops subordinate to the 20th Combined Arms Army, part of the Russian Armed Forces’ “West” Group.
“They’re all a**holes, but they get all the medals.” Demurchiev’s revelations about the Russian
army “You f**king bugs, I know everything about everyone, f**k, I’m living your lives, f**k.”
This voice message was recorded in May 2024 by Demurchiev, a high-ranking Russian military officer. In it, he boasts about his level of knowledge regarding internal processes within the Russian Armed Forces. Judging by the volume of correspondence analyzed by “Schemes,” he does indeed know a great deal about the inner workings of the Russian military.
For example, here’s how he comments on the Russian military training system:
Demurchiev addresses Mikhail Kosobokov, commander of the 49th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces: “It’s not the General Staff Academy—it’s the f***ing Staff Academy, for f***’s sake. I just want to piss in their mouths so they choke on paratrooper piss, f**k.”
And here, he describes the preparation of Russian soldiers immediately before battle:
Demurchiev addresses Sergei Medvedev, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “People show up, we bring them in at night, and in the morning—off to battle. Training is nonexistent; they’re ‘collective farmers’—no one gives them time to train.”
Judging by the recordings, the general “knows everything” about specific branches of the military:
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the Russian
Armed Forces’ 58th Army “There’s no fucking fun in this war—they’ve brought in this bunch of cocky paratroopers.”
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, a major general and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces: “The Marine Corps is also a fucking rooster-run operation, for f**k’s sake.”
And regarding the Russian Armed Forces in general:
Demurchiev addresses “Greek,” an employee of the FSB’s
military counterintelligence service: “They just f*** around, but they get all the medals, f***ers. I just want to get the hell out of this army, out of this f***ed-up war. Liars, assholes, and cowards.”
In his correspondence with various interlocutors, Demurchiev also speaks bluntly about the work of Russian special services—such as the FSB and the Main Directorate of the General Staff (better known as the GRU):
“And here we have the FSB—‘bluvasbe,’ f**k—it’s a sh*thole. It doesn’t even, f**k, do anything to defend us. All they can do is keep track of who’s screwed up the most. F***ers, they don’t have a f***ing shred of malice.”
“The other GRU commanders—they’re mice; they can go f*** themselves.”
By virtue of his position, the general is well-informed about the latest developments in the Russian military-industrial complex:
“Poseidon” (Russia’s latest nuclear submarine-launched weapon—ed.), f**k, it doesn’t work for us; it’s not even f**king finished yet. Well, this stuff is classified (the data—ed.), but I’ll let you in on it…”.
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “I, like an idiot, f**k, only have one ‘Orlan.’ In the ‘Orlan-10,’ I’ll barely be able to see a nuclear explosion, if there even is one.”
And he generously dishes out assessments of many influential Russian military figures:
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, Major General and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces “Actually, Teplinsky (Mikhail Teplinsky, then commander of the Russian Armed Forces’ Airborne Troops—ed.) deserves to be pissed on; he thinks he’s such a big shot, f**k.”
“That Mongol (Oleg Vlasov, commander of the 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.) is a f***ing, f***ing brigade commander. General, f**k, four ‘Orders of Courage,’ f**k, Hero of the Russian Federation. He’s gotten a bit chubby. That’s you, I think, you bastard.”
The general not only freely discusses various topics but also shares classified information because:
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, major general and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces “No one will ever know about this voice message I’m sending you right now. Over and out, I love you, f**k, no matter what.”
Demurchiev and the head of the Department of Social and Political Work of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Major General of Justice Sergey Petrov
Demurchiev and the head of the Department of Social and Political Work of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Major General of Justice Sergey Petrov
Cut-off ears and prisoners—“gifts” for the FSB
In the Third Army Corps of the Ukrainian Defense Forces—whose soldiers have fought or are currently fighting against units of the Russian Federation’s 20th Army on their assigned section of the front—soldiers told “Schemes” about their battles with them.
“They can be considered the elite—or rather, they consider themselves the elite. If my memory serves me correctly, the 20th Army consists of 40,000 servicemen. Ever since a unit of the 3rd Assault Brigade shifted its operations from Avdiivka to the Borivka sector, they have been our main adversary to this day,” says Ivan Starostenko, call sign “Kipish,” commander of the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Third Army Corps.
Ivan Starostenko, commander of the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Third Army Corps
Ivan Starostenko, commander of the 1st Mechanized Battalion of the 3rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Third Army Corps
Journalists from “Schemes” asked him to listen to one of Demurchiev’s voice recordings, in which he is presumably talking about the fighters of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade at that time.
“They fired off about two echelons of shells. If you’d seen this strongpoint on video—f**k, France held out less in the f**king during the ‘Great Patriotic War’ than this strongpoint. There’s not a single safe spot left. There aren’t even, f**k, any tree branches left there. Everything’s been uprooted. Everything’s on fire. And the “Ukrop” guys are coming out of the trenches to put it out, f**k, and frying eggs over the fire. Can you f**king imagine that? We need to write a letter to Zelenskyy to have them awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, f**k. We’re freaking out about what’s going on there. And our bodies are lying there, f**k, near that strongpoint, f**k.”
“This refers specifically to our brigade. They were talking about the “Pavlograd” position, which fell directly within the area of responsibility of the 1st Mechanized Battalion. West of the town of Novovodyane and north of the town of Makiivka. As a company commander at the time, I was surprised that planes were dropping KABs on an infantry position—about 10 KABs were used to destroy it. During daylight hours that day, I counted 78 barrel artillery strikes and 65 strikes from 120-mm mortars. And the ones listed below are from 82-mm mortars, AGS, FPVs, and drops from “Mavics”—we didn’t even count those.
The “Pavlohrad” position held its ground for 2.5–3 months. There was a particularly difficult moment when four enemy soldiers got within striking distance of the “Pavlohrad” position, where our artillery could no longer operate effectively, because there was a risk of hitting our own soldiers. So the infantry was left face-to-face with the enemy, supported by drones. At that critical moment, I saw one soldier, like Rambo, leap out onto the dugout, grab a machine gun, and simply start firing at the enemy,” said Ivan Starostenko.
“I’ve never seen anything like that in war. He repelled that attack and was wounded by a bullet. This is already his sixth bullet wound. The soldier is undergoing long-term treatment—and will return to the front lines. That’s if you can single out some kind of romantic, heroic story about a soldier. But overall—it’s entirely thanks to the infantry. Indeed, he (Demurchiev in the audio recording—ed.) points to the number of corpses—there were a huge number of them. Because, for example, there were days when our battalion eliminated 260 soldiers in a single day,” Starostenko added.
The journalists played another audio recording of a Russian general for the military officer to listen to.
Demurchiev addresses Oleg Senkov, a major general and former chief of staff of the 20th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “He (he—Oleg Mityaev, then commander of the 20th Army of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.) tells me: ‘F**k, 48 hours—you won’t take the ridge —I don’t see you in the army anymore; write a report. If you don’t write a report, I’ll kick you out in disgrace.” F**k, what kind of disgrace could he kick me out with? What a f**king. Of course I’m not going to write a report—what am I, a monkey? But I feel kind of uneasy about this, f**k. And we can’t move forward because, f**k, as always, the reason is FPV and drones.”
“The ridge is most likely the high ground that runs along the western side of the Zherebets River, near Novovodyane in the Donetsk region. The enemy was actively storming that height at the time; they needed to take it. Their tactics were quite simple—actively pounding the area they intended to storm with firepower. Then silence—and the enemy’s reserves would launch their assault. Why did this lead to such anguish in their voice communications and such heavy losses? Because at that time, the 3rd Assault Brigade had, first and foremost, a highly effective UAV component operating at a very high level. “We did everything we could to ensure that our personnel did not engage in close combat with the enemy,” said Ivan Starostenko.
So what was happening on those sections of the front where Demurchiev’s units were operating?
The general’s communications, which journalists have examined, demonstrate that brutality is tolerated in the Russian Armed Forces—and not only toward opponents on the battlefield. For example, Demurchiev reacts approvingly to a video of the “interrogation” of a live mouse that had been crucified. It was sent by another commander—Mikhail Kosobokov, commander of the 49th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation’s Southern Military District.
The general sent this photo of severed human ears strung on a string to both his fellow soldiers and his wife.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (nickname: “Warrior”) and his wife, Alexandra Demurchieva (nickname: “MTS Cat”)
Warrior: My spirits are up!
MTS Cat: I thought these were just tall tales from the Chechnya
days Turns out it’s true
So what are we going to do with them next?
Warrior: I’ll string them up as a garland and give
them as a gift MTS Cat: Like pig ears with beer
Warrior: Yeah
Roman Demurchiev with his wife
Roman Demurchiev with his wife
The general’s wife thought these were “tales from the Chechen war,” but the soldier’s other conversation partner—at that time the chief of staff, first deputy commander of the 36th Army, Major General Igor Timofeev—recognized a familiar practice.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Igor Timofeev—Major General, Chief of Staff, and First Deputy Commander of the 36th Army of the Russian Armed Forces (“Timofeev2”)
Warrior: No casualties
on our side. The scouts took them all out.
Timofeev2: 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Soldier: 4 prisoners.
Timofeev2: Didn’t touch their ears?
Like when we were kids?
Soldier: The Germans launched a counterattack, the b*stards—they’re going to retake the strongpoint. That’s good. I’ll kill
them all (Sends a photo of severed ears to the chat)
Recent
ones Nothing changes. Only time—and we’re getting
older They’re withering
away Timofeev2: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!
Clearly, he’s referring to Russia’s wars against Chechnya as “childhood,” since both Demurchiev and Timofeev took part in them. Numerous international organizations have documented cases of extrajudicial executions, torture, and maiming—including the cutting off of ears—during the Russian invasion of Chechnya.
“Schemes” has reported on similar cases of torture committed by the Russian military since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in its previous investigations. Specifically, in September 2022, journalists published a report in which, in a conversation intercepted by the SBU, Russian soldier Stanislav Shmatov told his father that a Ukrainian prisoner of war in the Borova area of Kharkiv Oblast had his ear cut off, because “he didn’t want to talk.”
During the period mentioned by Demurchiev—namely, the fall of 2022—the Russian 42nd Motorized Rifle Division, which he was still commanding at the time, was deployed on several fronts—in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
“Schemes” found no further information regarding such cases of torture—which could have been investigated—in the general’s correspondence. Only positive reactions from his correspondents to the photo showing severed ears.
And, judging by Demurchiev’s correspondence, this is a widespread practice not only among Russian military personnel but also among law enforcement officers.
Demurchiev writes to one of his correspondents:
“Valery Nikolayevich, damn it, you’re already the boss, already a respectable man. Moscow should be on its knees before you. You’re the boss of a super-organization—the one of my dreams. Damn, and you cut off ears. But at our age, people don’t do that anymore; they just give orders for someone else to do it. If it happened, it was done well, I’m sure. This is just between us. I’m proud of you.”
Who is he talking about, and what is this “dream organization” Demurchiev is referring to?
Demurchiev continues:
“And I thought your office was untouchable, like members of parliament. And your employees even end up in jail? Didn’t you go through special screening? Are you just running amok? F**k, s**t. And they didn’t take me into your agency, f**k.”
“Valery Nikolayevich” is listed in Demurchiev’s records with the last name “Nepop.”
Demurchiev addresses “Nepop”
“You are a secret officer—brave and honorable.”
In Russian database leaks, journalists managed to find only one person with that full name—he studied at the Ryazan Airborne School, just like Demurchiev and his interlocutor “Nepop.”
And in phone books, he is listed as “Valery FSB” and “Valera Vympel”—which is one of the most secretive and elite units of the FSB’s special forces.
He is not the only intelligence officer with whom Demurchiev is in contact. For example, an FSB officer with the call sign “Greek”—also known as Roman from military counterintelligence—regularly receives prisoners from the general, who refers to them as “gifts.”
Demurchiev addresses “Greek,” an officer with the Russian
FSB’s military counterintelligence division: “I have one prisoner; I can give him to you as a gift. There he is, sitting there, f**k, in a pit. What should I do with him—‘dispose’ of him or give him to you?”
After some thought, “Greek” agrees to take the prisoner along with the interrogation transcript, but Demurchiev clarifies:
Demurchiev addresses “Greek,” an officer of the Russian
FSB’s military counterintelligence “But we didn’t have time to just torture him, so the information—taken with a grain of salt—is 90% true. But you’ve got plenty of time, so you can bring in all kinds of tools, f**k, that force a person to tell the truth.”
Thanks to a photo of the captive that the FSB officer sent to Demurchiev, “Schemes” was able to identify him—a 42-year-old volunteer from Zaporizhzhia. The soldier spent over a year and a half in captivity—including time in a pretrial detention center in Altai. In the summer of 2025, he was exchanged and returned home.
Journalists reached out to the former captive through his relatives, asking to speak with him. However, he declined to discuss the torture he endured in captivity on camera due to his still-precarious physical condition. According to him, he was severely beaten and subjected to electric shocks at the time.
But he wasn’t the only soldier taken prisoner that day.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and an FSB military counterintelligence officer (“Greek”)
Warrior: There was another one. He didn’t make it. Son of a b*tch
Greek: Right
. I’m personally in favor of “disposal.”
Otherwise, we won’t defeat them.
Warrior: 👍
Greek: If their parents are alive, or they have brothers or sisters,
then we need to work with them.
To extract
information. Warrior: That’s how I understood it. How else? This is the only way. Well
done.
Working with the relatives of prisoners of war with the aim of recruiting them is also standard practice.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and an employee of the Russian FSB’s military counterintelligence (“Greek”)
Greek: We really need “fresh” prisoners to work with their parents...🙊
If any suddenly become available—my people are in Tokmak, and they’ll pick them up right away.
Warrior: I had six guys recently. If only I’d known.
It may seem that the Russian intelligence officer, contrary to his own beliefs regarding—quote—“disposal,” is opposed to the general killing prisoners.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and an employee of the Russian FSB’s military counterintelligence (“Greek”)
Warrior: I’ve got two “blues” in my basement (presumably referring to fighters from the Ukrainian Defense Forces—ed.). Do you need them? Or should I finish them off...
Greek: We need them!
Who should I call?
But that’s not the case.
Correspondence between Demurchieva (“Warrior”) and an officer of the Russian FSB’s military counterintelligence (“Greek”)
Greek: We’ve got a case.
Confidential
Warrior: Ready
Greek: There are a few a**holes who were caught red-handed at hideouts with IEDs (improvised explosive devices—ed.)
They’re being held by us…
Real members of the cell… (presumably referring to Ukrainians engaged in resistance in the occupied territories—ed.)
But we can’t put them on trial…
There’s a proposal to let them work for you for a few days digging foxholes and trenches.
And just leave them there.
Forever.
Are there any reliable people?
People who don’t talk?
And make sure my colleagues (from military counterintelligence) don’t find out.
Soldier: Yes
I guarantee
it. Greek: Thank
you. Warrior: No one will find out. I give
you my word. Division Commander
🥰 Greek: Thank you, Roman
. Warrior: Thank
you. The caviar is being prepared
Want me to give you the barrel?
Murder of prisoners
of war In his correspondence, Demurchiev often writes about Ukrainian prisoners of war, whom they regularly torture and kill. They speak of this as if it were an everyday occurrence.
Demurchiev addresses “Greek,” an employee of the Russian
FSB’s military counterintelligence “Yesterday in Novoprokopivka and Verbove (Zaporizhzhia Oblast—ed.), they captured a prisoner—some kind of rude ‘Ukrop,’ about 30 years old, with a radio, apparently the commander of an assault group. Well, yeah, he was reluctant to talk, so his soldiers f***ed him up, f***, in the trenches.”
But it’s hard to determine who they are and what actually happened to them—there’s not enough information.
But one thing is clear—Demurchiev’s subordinates are acting on their commander’s orders:
“I’m gonna f*** them all up soon, f***. No prisoners—that’s it, I’m not taking a single f***ing prisoner; I’ll finish them all off, f***. Those f***ers pissed me off; f*** them all.”
“I’m not taking any prisoners; first I’ll f*** them up, then I’ll shoot them, and then I’ll burn the f*** out of them.”
Next is a video of events from mid-December 2024, filmed by a Russian military thermal-imaging drone near Makiivka. It shows Ukrainian soldiers who have surrendered—as the video clearly shows, they are standing with their hands raised. What follows are the actions of the Russian military.
Such actions not only violate the rules and customs of war set forth in the 1949 Geneva Conventions but also the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It states that a commander is responsible for the crimes of his subordinates if he knew or should have known about them and failed to take the necessary and reasonable measures to prevent them or punish those responsible (Article 8—ed.)
However, Russia withdrew its signature from the Rome Statute back in 2016.
Screenshot from a video showing the execution of Ukrainian prisoners
of war Screenshot from a video showing the execution of Ukrainian prisoners
of war So what was Commander Demurchiev’s reaction when his subordinates reported to him that a war crime had, in fact, been committed? He went to “inform” his superiors. He made a special point of emphasizing that the prisoners of war had been executed.
“They took them at night. Well, I reported it to you. Two ‘convicts’ went to the strongpoint, to the position—there were three ‘Ukrainians’ there.” They took them prisoner and hacked them to death with shovels—damn it, animals, f**k them. Look, f**k, an execution with entrenching shovels,” says Roman Demurchiev.
– And then what, was there an airstrike on the “prisoners,” or what? Here’s the latest video—is that some kind of explosive device or something?– asks Oleg Mityaev, lieutenant general of the Russian Armed Forces.
“Maybe they chopped them up first and then blew them up, for f**k’s sake?” another Russian Army servicemember, unidentified by “Schemes,” joins the conversation with a laugh.
Did the commander of the Russian Federation’s 20th Army—who was General Mityaev at the time—look into what happened? Was there any reaction? Yes, there was:
Oleg Mityaev addresses Demurchiev
“Roman Gerodotovich, the ‘convicts’ who took the position and hacked them to pieces with shovels—God willing, they’ll survive—make sure to submit them for awards. Keep pushing them back quietly, good job. Good job, keep pressing, keep crushing those bastards, f**k.”
Journalists identified the Ukrainian Armed Forces unit whose captured soldiers were killed by Russian troops. The unit confirmed the massacre of the prisoners and added: according to their intelligence, the “convicts”—as the Russian soldiers themselves referred to them in conversation—were soldiers from the “Black Mamba” of the 252nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, part of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of Russia’s 20th Combined Arms Army.
Demuurchiev’s correspondence with General Popov
, who was convicted in Russia Perhaps the general and his inner circle have more empathy, at least toward their own subordinates? According to the conversations analyzed by journalists—no.
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “I f**ked over Samarin (commander of one of the regiments—ed.). Samarin is pissed off, says he has four groups of 14 people each, assault troops. All “cons.” He set up a blocking detachment and said, ‘No one’s getting out of there alive, f**k it, s**t.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m f**king sick of all this s**t. Let’s do it, f**k it.” In short, either we win, or no one the f**k gets out of there, f**k it. That’s the decision. We’re f**king sick of this humiliation, these insults, this being treated like s**t. They just got to the edge, f**k, and are standing there—their legs won’t move. Over there, the assault squad commander “beat the s**t out of” two of his own men. One f**k—they won’t move, they’re chicken.”
Demurchiev and his interlocutor are discussing the military strategy of Vitaly Samarin—at that time, the commander of the 291st Motorized Rifle Regiment within the 42nd Division.
However, the discussion of specific military matters doesn’t last long—the generals quickly shift from strategies to personal conversations and plans.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces (“KA SAR”)
KA SAR: You’re unlikely to drive them out.
Warrior: I know
I want
to go to Leberdon (a resort area in Rostov, short for “left bank of the Don”—ed.) forget all this
. KA SAR: I want to go with you, too.
Not just forget, but never think about it again.
I want to get out of here, too. I’m sick of everyone.
I want a f***ing vacation!
Warrior: Me too
. KA SAR: I don’t have the courage to take that step.
I can’t and won’t stay in this army with them. Not at all.
Warrior: 🤝
KA SAR: Lying ass-kissers.
Demurchiev’s interlocutor is another Russian general, Ivan Popov.
He commanded the 58th Army, which included the 42nd Division, then still under Demurchiev’s command.
Colleagues from “Schemes” on the “System” project—who specialize in Russia, covering everything from war crimes investigations to corruption—are currently conducting a separate investigation into General Popov’s activities and his ties to Demurchiev. “Schemes” shared a large volume of correspondence with them.
“I would say that the Russian Federation’s offensive in the Kharkiv region in 2022 was Popov’s first known operation. He did indeed command part of that offensive. In other words, he reached the peak of his career during the Russian-Ukrainian war. Sometime in March 2023, he was promoted to major general and became commander of the 58th Army. This is also a very well-known military unit. His first major assignment in his new position was the Zaporizhzhia sector, just as a Ukrainian counteroffensive was being prepared there. So this was a very important mission. At that time, the Battle of Robotyne was underway. And in July 2023, the young general’s brilliant career came to an abrupt end. He was relieved of his command. He later recounted that he had attended a meeting with Gerasimov —the head of the Russian General Staff. At this meeting, he reported that they needed more troops, that there were too many casualties, and that they were running low on weapons. And, according to his account, that’s exactly why he was dismissed,” says Yelizaveta Surnachova, a journalist for “Sistema.”
Two generals—Demurchiev and Popov—openly discuss in private conversations the state of affairs in the Russian Armed Forces and influential military commanders.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces (“KA SAR”)
Warrior: Lamin (Denis Lamin, commander of the 58th Army after Popov—ed.) is screaming like a fool in a fit of hysteria
He’s just getting in the way and causing tension. That f**king bastard
has pissed me off. KA SAR: A rag
. Warrior: At 9:00 p.m. yesterday, Demchenko (Alexei Demchenko, then commander of the 71st Motorized Rifle Regiment, part of the 42nd Division—ed.) to the Chief of the General Staff (CGS—ed.)
KA SAR: Demchenko is a good-for-nothing.
Soldier: The Army Commander (ed.) is covering for him. He asked me not to f**k with him. Just between us.
I’m going to f**k with him anyway. He’s a total drag
SAR Commander: Where are the shells?
Let Lyamin call his buddy Gerasimov (Valery Gerasimov, General of the Army, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces—Ed.).
Soldier: He won’t call
. KA SAR: Loser.
Soldier: I can already tell the Chief of Staff is going to pull some shitty stunts. He’ll come to his own conclusions in that brain-dead head of his 🤣
Fuck them all
KA SAR: I can even feel this shitty atmosphere right here.
Soldier: How are things with Serdyukov (Andriy Serdyukov, Colonel General, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) since 2023—Ed.)?
He’s a FREAK
, too KA SAR: Nothing so far.
I don’t even want to have anything to do with him.
Kapliy (Igor Kapliy, Major General, was Serdyukov’s successor as commander of the 76th Guards Airborne Assault “Pskov” Division, a cadet at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces—ed.) is a dumb animal.
They’re both a match for each other.
Dumb as a cork, but he’s the chief of staff for the entire group. That’s a f**king disaster.
Warrior: 😳😳😳😳F**K!!!! Kapliy is the epitome of stupidity and idiocy!!!!
KA SAR: Dvornikov (Alexander Dvornikov, former commander of the Russian Federation’s Southern Military District—ed.) kicked him out of the district, and Teplinsky kicked him out of the Airborne Forces.
Who’s in charge here???
An army of morons, sycophants, and cowardly traitors.
Soldier: Serdyukov and Kaplii—they’re a sandwich of arrogant
morons
In their conversations, Demurchiev and Popov often use colorful epithets when describing the state of affairs in the Russian army. Hoping that this will remain just between them.
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “Well, this is also just between us—I’m asking you in general, otherwise… Well, you understand, it won’t be nice for me to look you in the eye. I’m sharing this with you as I would with an older brother.”
But even throughout 2023, when Popov had already been removed from command of the 58th Army, Demurchiev continued to report to his former superior almost every day:
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces “It’s just a f**king mess. No communications, no command, a total f**king disaster.”
“We’re watching, standing guard, scared, and shivering.”
Apparently, Popov is already bored in Syria at that time (where he was sent to serve after being relieved of his command) and sends Demurchiev photos of the coast, food, drinks, and so on.
Even from abroad, the general is actively following news from the front—at that time, Demurchiev’s units were still stationed near the village of Robotine in the Zaporizhzhia region. In 2023, the Russian Federation’s army suffered significant losses there.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces (“KA SAR”)
Warrior: Yesterday’s toll: 70: 17–200, 27–300, missing in action—165.
F**k. But that’s all 200, I think
The 70th command post was flattened with “chemical bombs” and shrapnel. They got
hit hard. KA SAR: 165 missing?????
Soldier: Yeah. But I’m 99% sure they burned
to death. Yesterday was hell
. KA SAR: Holy shit!
How’s Kleshch holding up?
Soldier: Kleshch committed suicide.
Kleshch is Ivan Yurievich Kleshcherov—a fellow officer of Demurchiev, commander of units within the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division. Since 2023, – “Hero of the Russian Federation,” a title General Popov apparently helped him secure. At least, that’s what he claims.
Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces, addresses Demurchiev
“I don’t want to take any credit for myself, but this is the reality. That f**king Klezh is only climbing the ranks thanks to me, f**k, and he only got that ‘Hero’ title (Hero of the Russian Federation—a state award in Russia—ed.) thanks to me, f**k. He didn’t even realize that, f**k. Half of my fucking time went into making calls—damn it—to Moscow, to the Presidential Administration, to the fucking Federation Council, to Pankov, f**k, to Nikolai Aleksandrovich (then State Secretary—Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation—ed.). All so that Kleshcherov could become a Hero of Russia, f**k, with his gladiators, f**k.”
“An Army of Idiots and Traitors,” “FSB-Ble-vazbe,” “The ‘Rooster’ Airborne Forces”: A Russian General’s Correspondence on the War, Intelligence Agencies, and Prisoners of War
It seems that the two generals do indeed have a trusting relationship.
After all, in their correspondence, they discuss everything: from personnel appointments to philosophical questions.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Ivan Popov, former commander of the Russian Armed Forces’ 58th Army (“KA SAR”)
Warrior: Why do people become a**holes? Maybe there’s a thrill in it?
KA SAR: Roma, don’t break my heart.
I want to howl
Honestly
Like a wolf, just howl
Really loud
Warrior: Don’t take it to heart. I just want to get high with you guys and hook up with glamorous girls
KA SAR: Just don’t get the two mixed up🤣🤣🤣
Russian generals are nostalgic for the days when they served together and received awards.
But they brag about their new achievements in their messages.
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces: “We met up with Ramzan (Kadyrov, head of Chechnya—ed.) here.” Ramzan and “Lord” (Magomed Daudov, Prime Minister of Chechnya, Kadyrov’s “right-hand man”—Ed.) invited us here today. Damn, they awarded me a medal. The Kadyrov Order is the highest award of the Chechen Republic. It’s gold, with diamonds—damn!
At the same time, as the correspondence shows, Demurchiev regularly sends Popova money—hundreds of thousands of rubles—for which, as he himself says, he periodically “puts pressure on the divisional brothers.”
Later, Demurchiev would be questioned about this by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
After all, in mid-2024, Popova was sent to a pretrial detention center. A case was opened against him in Russia—the general was suspected of large-scale fraud—the embezzlement of metal products intended for engineering structures for the Russian army in the Zaporizhzhia region.
“Systema” journalist Elizaveta Surnachova explains:
“Popov returned to Moscow, and that’s when he was arrested. And that’s a whole new twist. Because up until then, it had just been some kind of internal power struggle within the army. But now—an arrest. For corruption, no less. His wife, as we saw in her correspondence with him, was very worried that he was being sent to a pretrial detention center, saying, ‘God, it won’t be like with Navalny, will it?’ She meant, “Will he die accidentally under some unexplained circumstances?
”
Demurchieva’s voice recording from the summer of
2024 “They summoned me to the Main Military Investigative Directorate regarding Popov; there was all that f**king nonsense again—they were pressuring the hell out of me, so I told them to f**k off, and they got pissed at me. The senior investigator, f**k, threw his pen down, f**k. He asks me, ‘Did you transfer money to Popov?’ I say, ‘I don’t remember.’ He says, “I’m not satisfied with your answer—‘I don’t remember,’ damn it—so is it yes or no?” I say, “Listen, Colonel—actually, I’m a general, for f**k’s sake—why are you talking to me like that?” Well, anyway, back and forth, I eventually tell him: “Listen, you f**k, tone it down a notch, another notch, another one, you b**ch, tone it down a notch—you have to speak to me politely, you f**king a**hole.”
In the same conversation, Demurchiev admits that he stole the interrogation materials of a fellow officer—the aforementioned Samarin—from the investigators. Samarin had also been sending money to Popov and, in the general’s opinion, answered the law enforcement officers’ questions “correctly.” He promises to share these materials with other colleagues, since he is preparing them for interrogation as well.
Demurchiev addresses Yevgeny Malygin, chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces: “And they might ask you, too. Well, if you gave any, because they’ve uncovered everything I gave. And others gave testimony there too. Just as aid—50,000 or 100,000. If they happen to ask you and there’s ‘proof’ that you passed it on.”
The general seems to be trying to cover up the matter.
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, a major general and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces “I even met with the head of the Armed Forces of All Russia (Konstantin Korpusov, head of the Main Military Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation—ed.), and he promised me that everything would be fine, but it didn’t turn out fine, because he himself is, well, such a f***ing a**hole.”
In the end, this is how it turned out: in April 2024, Popov was sentenced to five years behind bars, and they didn’t let him go back to the war—as he himself had requested instead of serving his sentence. The last thing known about him is that he was transferred to a penal colony near Moscow in October 2025.
Demurchiev addresses Elena Popova, the wife of Ivan Popov
, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces: “They’re animals, those bastards. God isn’t a fool; he’ll put everything in its place. We took every possible measure to prevent this from happening. Even the head of the Russian Investigative Committee promised me that everything would be fine. But they’re all scoundrels—they’re not real men; they don’t stand by their word. But everything will be fine.”
This is how Demurchiev summed up the Popov case.
The “underwear crisis” and other correspondence from the general
In addition to helping his fellow general, Demurchiev was discussing other “important” matters around the same time. For example, resolving “urgent issues” with his aide, Rasul. At a time when Demurchiev’s division was advancing on Robotyne, he himself had been sent to Moscow for training as a cadet at the General Staff Military Academy.
Conversation between Roman Demurchiev and Magomedrasul Biisoltanov, senior warrant officer
– Rasul, hello. So, listen, Colonel Pilidzhanyan. He’s a prosecutor. When he was sweating it out in the sauna, he left his boxers somewhere in there. Damn it, he’s already driven me crazy. We have to find those boxers—we have to find them, damn it—and get them back to him somehow. He only trusts you, no one else. Give him a call. Damn it, like a brother. But this is just between us—don’t tell anyone. Just have a laugh, and that’s it.
– Comrade General, I wish you good health. I heard you. He told me about the underwear. I told him, “I put the underwear in a bag and hung it on the hanger.” The very next day, when I was driving by, the bag of underwear wasn’t on that hanger—there was nothing there. I thought he’d taken them. I don’t know how to ask. Maybe the soldiers threw them away if he didn’t take them.
– So just say this about the underwear: they were hanging there, but now they’re gone, and you thought someone had taken them. Maybe the cleaning lady threw them away, or maybe one of the soldiers was cleaning up. That’s how you should answer. Damn it, it’s no big loss—just a pair of underwear. Just don’t be shy—call him. I’ll ask him not to think I’ve let him down. I haven’t let him down at all. I can’t help him with the underwear, damn it, but I’ll get him a jacket.
– Comrade General, I’ve got it; I’ll take care of it.
Such “stories” in the general’s correspondence are not uncommon. Still, most of the conversations concern successful assaults on Ukrainian territories—sometimes fabricated—as well as the losses of soldiers and their training.
A separate topic is the nationality of the soldiers.
For example, Demurchiev forwarded this photo to various contacts at least 8 times, as if it were something unusual.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and a Russian Armed Forces servicemember (“Nepop Petrov”)
Warrior: (photo)
New recruits.
Kenya (presumably—ed.). Africa
Nepop Petrov: Hi. Is this really you?
If you look closely, there’s
even something Caucasian about it
In the following excerpt from the correspondence, the general describes the fighters of Chechen units that were also under his command. Specifically, he refers to Kadyrov’s “Akhmat” units, about which Russian President Putin has repeatedly stated that they “fight boldly, bravely, and heroically.”
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Vitaly Podgorodetsky, former deputy commander (Demurchiev) in the 136th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, part of the Russian Armed Forces’ 58th Army (“Podgorodetsky”)
Podgorodetsky: The General Staff
is currently placing high hopes on your unit Warrior: Why me?
What’s the joke here?
Podgorodetsky: We need to show the people on TV—and the tsar—that we’ve captured new territory.
Warrior: I see
. They gave me 2,000 Chechens. Cowards and PR people. F**k what I’m going to show. Nothing but
intrigue. Only the Slavs
show results. And there aren’t many
of them.
Journalists from “Schemes” called Demurchiev. However, after he heard the first question about possible war crimes committed by his soldiers—specifically, about responsibility for the severed ears of prisoners—Demurchiev hung up. The Russian general did not answer any further calls and even blocked the number so they could no longer reach him.
After all, in their correspondence, they discuss everything: from personnel appointments to philosophical questions.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Ivan Popov, former commander of the Russian Armed Forces’ 58th Army (“KA SAR”)
Warrior: Why do people become a**holes? Maybe there’s a thrill in it?
KA SAR: Roma, don’t break my heart.
I want to howl
Honestly
Like a wolf, just howl
Really loud
Warrior: Don’t take it to heart. I just want to get high with you guys and hook up with glamorous girls
KA SAR: Just don’t get the two mixed up🤣🤣🤣
Russian generals are nostalgic for the days when they served together and received awards.
But they brag about their new achievements in their messages.
Demurchiev addresses Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces: “We met up with Ramzan (Kadyrov, head of Chechnya—ed.) here.” Ramzan and “Lord” (Magomed Daudov, Prime Minister of Chechnya, Kadyrov’s “right-hand man”—Ed.) invited us here today. Damn, they awarded me a medal. The Kadyrov Order is the highest award of the Chechen Republic. It’s gold, with diamonds—damn!
At the same time, as the correspondence shows, Demurchiev regularly sends Popova money—hundreds of thousands of rubles—for which, as he himself says, he periodically “puts pressure on the divisional brothers.”
Later, Demurchiev would be questioned about this by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
After all, in mid-2024, Popova was sent to a pretrial detention center. A case was opened against him in Russia—the general was suspected of large-scale fraud—the embezzlement of metal products intended for engineering structures for the Russian army in the Zaporizhzhia region.
“Systema” journalist Elizaveta Surnachova explains:
“Popov returned to Moscow, and that’s when he was arrested. And that’s a whole new twist. Because up until then, it had just been some kind of internal power struggle within the army. But now—an arrest. For corruption, no less. His wife, as we saw in her correspondence with him, was very worried that he was being sent to a pretrial detention center, saying, ‘God, it won’t be like with Navalny, will it?’ She meant, “Will he die accidentally under some unexplained circumstances?
”
Demurchieva’s voice recording from the summer of
2024 “They summoned me to the Main Military Investigative Directorate regarding Popov; there was all that f**king nonsense again—they were pressuring the hell out of me, so I told them to f**k off, and they got pissed at me. The senior investigator, f**k, threw his pen down, f**k. He asks me, ‘Did you transfer money to Popov?’ I say, ‘I don’t remember.’ He says, “I’m not satisfied with your answer—‘I don’t remember,’ damn it—so is it yes or no?” I say, “Listen, Colonel—actually, I’m a general, for f**k’s sake—why are you talking to me like that?” Well, anyway, back and forth, I eventually tell him: “Listen, you f**k, tone it down a notch, another notch, another one, you b**ch, tone it down a notch—you have to speak to me politely, you f**king a**hole.”
In the same conversation, Demurchiev admits that he stole the interrogation materials of a fellow officer—the aforementioned Samarin—from the investigators. Samarin had also been sending money to Popov and, in the general’s opinion, answered the law enforcement officers’ questions “correctly.” He promises to share these materials with other colleagues, since he is preparing them for interrogation as well.
Demurchiev addresses Yevgeny Malygin, chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division of the 58th Army of the Russian
Armed Forces: “And they might ask you, too. Well, if you gave any, because they’ve uncovered everything I gave. And others gave testimony there too. Just as aid—50,000 or 100,000. If they happen to ask you and there’s ‘proof’ that you passed it on.”
The general seems to be trying to cover up the matter.
Demurchiev addresses Alexander Nilov, a major general and commander of the 90th Tank Division of the Russian
Armed Forces “I even met with the head of the Armed Forces of All Russia (Konstantin Korpusov, head of the Main Military Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation—ed.), and he promised me that everything would be fine, but it didn’t turn out fine, because he himself is, well, such a f***ing a**hole.”
In the end, this is how it turned out: in April 2024, Popov was sentenced to five years behind bars, and they didn’t let him go back to the war—as he himself had requested instead of serving his sentence. The last thing known about him is that he was transferred to a penal colony near Moscow in October 2025.
Demurchiev addresses Elena Popova, the wife of Ivan Popov
, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces: “They’re animals, those bastards. God isn’t a fool; he’ll put everything in its place. We took every possible measure to prevent this from happening. Even the head of the Russian Investigative Committee promised me that everything would be fine. But they’re all scoundrels—they’re not real men; they don’t stand by their word. But everything will be fine.”
This is how Demurchiev summed up the Popov case.
The “underwear crisis” and other correspondence from the general
In addition to helping his fellow general, Demurchiev was discussing other “important” matters around the same time. For example, resolving “urgent issues” with his aide, Rasul. At a time when Demurchiev’s division was advancing on Robotyne, he himself had been sent to Moscow for training as a cadet at the General Staff Military Academy.
Conversation between Roman Demurchiev and Magomedrasul Biisoltanov, senior warrant officer
– Rasul, hello. So, listen, Colonel Pilidzhanyan. He’s a prosecutor. When he was sweating it out in the sauna, he left his boxers somewhere in there. Damn it, he’s already driven me crazy. We have to find those boxers—we have to find them, damn it—and get them back to him somehow. He only trusts you, no one else. Give him a call. Damn it, like a brother. But this is just between us—don’t tell anyone. Just have a laugh, and that’s it.
– Comrade General, I wish you good health. I heard you. He told me about the underwear. I told him, “I put the underwear in a bag and hung it on the hanger.” The very next day, when I was driving by, the bag of underwear wasn’t on that hanger—there was nothing there. I thought he’d taken them. I don’t know how to ask. Maybe the soldiers threw them away if he didn’t take them.
– So just say this about the underwear: they were hanging there, but now they’re gone, and you thought someone had taken them. Maybe the cleaning lady threw them away, or maybe one of the soldiers was cleaning up. That’s how you should answer. Damn it, it’s no big loss—just a pair of underwear. Just don’t be shy—call him. I’ll ask him not to think I’ve let him down. I haven’t let him down at all. I can’t help him with the underwear, damn it, but I’ll get him a jacket.
– Comrade General, I’ve got it; I’ll take care of it.
Such “stories” in the general’s correspondence are not uncommon. Still, most of the conversations concern successful assaults on Ukrainian territories—sometimes fabricated—as well as the losses of soldiers and their training.
A separate topic is the nationality of the soldiers.
For example, Demurchiev forwarded this photo to various contacts at least 8 times, as if it were something unusual.
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and a Russian Armed Forces servicemember (“Nepop Petrov”)
Warrior: (photo)
New recruits.
Kenya (presumably—ed.). Africa
Nepop Petrov: Hi. Is this really you?
If you look closely, there’s
even something Caucasian about it
In the following excerpt from the correspondence, the general describes the fighters of Chechen units that were also under his command. Specifically, he refers to Kadyrov’s “Akhmat” units, about which Russian President Putin has repeatedly stated that they “fight boldly, bravely, and heroically.”
Correspondence between Demurchiev (“Warrior”) and Vitaly Podgorodetsky, former deputy commander (Demurchiev) in the 136th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, part of the Russian Armed Forces’ 58th Army (“Podgorodetsky”)
Podgorodetsky: The General Staff
is currently placing high hopes on your unit Warrior: Why me?
What’s the joke here?
Podgorodetsky: We need to show the people on TV—and the tsar—that we’ve captured new territory.
Warrior: I see
. They gave me 2,000 Chechens. Cowards and PR people. F**k what I’m going to show. Nothing but
intrigue. Only the Slavs
show results. And there aren’t many
of them.
Journalists from “Schemes” called Demurchiev. However, after he heard the first question about possible war crimes committed by his soldiers—specifically, about responsibility for the severed ears of prisoners—Demurchiev hung up. The Russian general did not answer any further calls and even blocked the number so they could no longer reach him.
This is an automatic translation generated by DeepL.