Russians Worry Putin's Driving Country to Point of No Return

Ukrainian military intelligence recently published audio of an alleged intercepted phone call between two Russian citizens describing what they feel is the current bad state of the country under Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The two men reportedly said that if Putin isn't removed from power soon, the country "might never recover."

Ukraine's military intelligence directorate (GUR) posted the audio to its Telegram channel on Thursday. GUR frequently posts audio of what it says are intercepted communications related to Putin's war in Ukraine. The calls often serve as examples of low morale in regards to the war. Earlier this month, GUR posted a phone conversion in which a Russian woman allegedly told her soldier husband to bribe his commanding officers in order to return home because she feared they would force him to remain in Ukraine.

In the audio posted Thursday by GUR—the authenticity of which could not be independently verified by Newsweek—the two speakers discuss what they characterize as a growing sentiment for a revolt led by the Russian people against Putin.

"There was a golden time [before Putin]," the first speaker said, according to a translation by the Kyiv Post. "People were normal; they loved, respected, and helped each other. And now they've turned into something like wolves."

He continued, "We might need to live another 100 years to reach the standards of the 1980s... considering what these individuals have done. And if they stay in power for another 10 years, we might never recover."

"We have to wait for the people to rise and take action. Nothing else," the second speaker replied.

The first speaker then spoke about how he's heard other people talking about rising up against Putin.

"At work, everyone talks about it all the time. They say, 'We're fighting the wrong battle; we must go [to Moscow] and maybe establish order,'" he said.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email for comment.

GUR did not provide any details about the speakers, other than they were Russian citizens speaking within Russia.

The Kyiv Post detailed how the two men also discussed the failed mutiny in June by the Wagner Group of mercenaries. They reportedly referenced how Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was able to bring his fighters into Moscow "not even in a day but in 12 hours" and credited him for not wanting bloodshed.

The first speaker reportedly said Putin wouldn't have cared if there had been violence during the Wagner rebellion.

"He cares only for the money, the power...This regime has never been worse," he reportedly said.