«Raze to the ground, from east to west side»: SBU published conversations of the Russian military with orders to shell residential areas

The Ukrainian Security Service has released intercepted conversations between two Russian army officers with call signs «Venets» and «Ratnik» in Trostyanets (Sumy region). According to SBU's operational information, «Venets» is the commander of the 4th Tank Division, Colonel Yevgeniy Nikolayevich Zhuravlev. «Ratnik» is his subordinate, the commander of one of the units.

On the recording Zhuravlev gives the order to destroy a Ukrainian village: «We must work on Skryagovka, raze it to the ground from east to west side.»

Also on the recording, Ratnik, complaining of enemy fire poured upon them by AFU troops, reports: «I've just hit them hard, from where they might be. There are residential areas there. They'll get angry again and get back to work.» In response, the commander gives direct order to destroy two more Ukrainian villages.

Zhuravlev was appointed the new commander of the Kantemirov Guards Armored Division of the Western Military District Tank Army in September 2021. Born March 20, 1978, he is a graduate of the Chelyabinsk Higher Tank Command School.