Russian soldiers leak sensitive military data on Telegram, revealing losses
Photo: Russian soldiers (Getty Images)
Military personnel from Russia's 143rd regiment spent more than a year publishing classified documents and passwords in a public Telegram group. The leaked materials included assault plans, data on the use of Starlink, and access keys for drone video streams, according to an investigation by ASTRA.
The group, which was open to anyone, became a real intelligence source for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Links to command meetings via the Yandex Telemost service appeared there daily. Russian officers, without any verification, sent classified orders from the headquarters of Russia’s 5th Army to the group.
Russians publicly shared critically important information:
- personnel lists and video surveillance system data tables;
- ammunition requisition requests;
- logins and passwords for internal systems;
- two-factor authentication keys for viewing UAV live streams.
This allowed third parties to observe the battlefield through the eyes of Russian commanders in real time. The group operated in this mode for about a year.
What the occupiers were planning
The leaked documents reveal the actual situation within enemy units. For example, in August 2025, the headquarters of the 5th Army issued an order signed by colonels. It documented significant losses among assault groups.
The reason cited was poor supply and low effectiveness of robotic systems. Command ordered the urgent equipping of automated carts with Starlink terminals. Commanders were instructed to regularly report on the availability of these devices.
The occupiers also tried to confuse Ukrainian forces using large-scale deception tactics. In December 2025, an order was issued to create fake positions in the Vremivka direction. Russians simulated the movement of equipment, field kitchens, and troop activity.
The headquarters required soldiers to take special photos and videos designed to look like covert recordings made by local residents with pro-Ukrainian views. The occupiers hoped these materials would reach Ukrainian intelligence as reports from alleged patriots.
The chat also contained plans for radio operations and psychological warfare. Orders from the army intelligence chief were also published, relating to reconnaissance activities in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
How did Russian forces realize the breach?
The group stopped being updated only on May 4. In late April, administrators finally noticed that outsiders had begun joining the chat in large numbers. Only after the story was published in the media did large-scale inspections begin within the Russian military.
What is known about the situation at the front
Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, estimated the "cost" of each killed Russian soldier at just under $1,000.
It is also noted that due to Ukrainian long-range strikes, Russia suffers daily losses amounting to tens of millions of dollars. This is deepening economic pressure on the occupiers' economy, which is approaching stagnation.
Meanwhile, according to the New York Post, the Kremlin plans to expand its list of targets in Ukraine this winter. The Russian forces are expected to strike not only energy infrastructure but also two additional types of targets.
