We’re cannon fodder for Putin – 300 of us were lost in one bloodbath battle, says leaked letter from Russian marines

RUSSIAN marines have slammed Putin for leading them into a “massacre” in a leaked letter. The fed-up troops have accused the tyrant of treating them like “meat” as they claim 300 men were killed in a four-day bloodbath. East2WestRussian marines have accused generals of using them as ‘cannon fodder’[/caption] EPAPutin has been slammed by fed-up troops in Ukraine[/caption] Russian soldiers fighting in Pavlivka, Ukraine, have blasted their “incompetent” generals for using them as “cannon fodder” in a letter. They have demanded Putin be told personally of the reported massacre and an independent military commission set up to investigate. It comes amid growing reports of Russian forces staging mutinies in multiple locations over Putin’s increasingly unpopular and costly war.  The troops of the 155th Marine Brigade wrote to their regional governor Oleg Kozhemyako in Primorsky – in the Russian Far East – in a bid to get their message to Putin. More on Russia MAD VLAD Ukraine sends warning as Putin's task is to make people 'die, freeze, or flee' WAR MACHINE Moment Ukraine drone drops grenades on Russian soldier in warning to invaders They state in the leaked letter: “Yet again we were thrown into an incomprehensible attack by Generals (Rustam) Muradov and (Zurab) Akhmedov, so that Muradov could get bonuses from (chief of the general staff Valery) Gerasimov, and his promised Hero of Russia (medal). “So it was us and the Marines from Kamchatka advancing on Pavlivka. “As a result of the ‘carefully planned’ attack by these ‘great commanders’ we lost about 300 people in four days, killed, wounded and missing.“We lost 50 per cent of our military equipment, and this was just our brigade.” Most read in The Sun OWEN GOAL Hollyoaks' Owen Warner slammed by I'm A Celeb fans after awkward gaffe 'UNBEARABLE' ITV blasted by fuming I’m A Celeb fans who claim launch was ‘totally spoilt’ CRIS CROSS Ronaldo and Mings WRESTLE each other in 'WWE match' in Man Utd's clash at Villa SKY FALL 'Time traveller from 2671' claims that '7 people will fall from the sky' in 2023 'CRIPPLING' Tragic way Aaron's body was found revealed amid fears of 'drug relapse' STORM OFF Blankety Blank contestant leaves host Bradley Walsh stunned as she storms off set The demoralised troops also claim commanders are “hiding” the mayhem in Donetsk, occupied by Russia, and are “playing down the number of losses for fear of being held responsible”. Addressing the governor, they wrote: “How long will mediocrities like Muradov and Akhmedov plan military operations for the sake of their reports, and for receiving awards at the cost of so many lives?” “They don’t care about anything but themselves, they call people cannon fodder.” The governor has sent the appeal to the “competent authorities”, while claiming it could be a fake, said a report.  However multiple Russian sources indicate the letter from the marines is genuine.  It was first highlighted – initially without the actual text – by Russian state TV war reporter Alexander Sladkov. He warned “the blood is pouring and pouring” among Russian forces, with “great losses” of people and equipment. After claims that the letter may have been the work of Ukrainian special forces, he hit back today [Monday] denying his account had been hacked stating: “The goal is to save [Russian forces].  “Let them become heroes, not meat mixed with earth and boards.”  Reports also suggest heavy Ukrainian losses in intense fighting. But there are claims that Russian troops fell into a trap occupying half of Pavlivka and then were picked off by the Ukrainian forces. DEADLY WAR On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defence mentioned the village -saying its  “artillery fire and assault groups defeated militant units” in this and other villages. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that in Pavlivka the Russian army had fired mortars, cannon and rocket artillery. It comes as humiliated Putin continues to suffer major setbacks in Ukraine after arrogantly believing he could sweep in and take the country within days. Ukraine last week claimed Russia had suffered its deadliest day yet on the frontline after almost 1,000 soldiers were killed in just 24 hours. A new death toll in the war suggests Putin’s war has cost more than 100,000 Russian lives.  Telegram channel General SVR states that the Russian leader has been informed of 77,291 killed in his regular forces since he started the conflict in February.  In addition, some 23,517 have been killed in private military companies like Wagner which are involved in his war. And some 5,308 Russian national guards have been killed, the channel said. The Russian channel has regularly suggested the toll is higher than other sources.  If correct, it would mean an overall Russian toll of 106,116.  Read More on The Sun FIR REAL I’m obsessed with Christmas & my clever tips will make any cheap tree look luxe OVER CHARGE We switched to a smart meter & were charged £13k in ONE NIGHT Meanwhile, footage showed the moment a Ukrainian drone dropped grenades on a Russian soldier in a staunch warning to invading forces. The clip appeared to show the unmanned military flyer dropping grenades on a pro-Putin soldier in a trench. East2WestThe troops of the 155th Marine Brigade said 300 soldiers were killed within four days[/caption] East2WestRussian and Ukrainian troops are battling in Pavlivka[/caption] ReutersIt comes as Russia continues to face setbacks in Ukraine[/caption]