Published materials from the phone of Russian Major General Roman Demurchiev have caused a stir far beyond Ukraine. It is not about retellings or anonymous testimonies, but about personal correspondence and voice messages, which, according to the Ukrainian side, were obtained after hacking the device of the commander of the 20th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation.
The archive for the years 2022–2024 was handed over to Russian opposition journalists collaborating with Radio Liberty. Some of the materials were also published by the outlets Current Time and Meduza.
What is contained in the correspondence
Photos of ‘trophies’ and family reaction
Among the published materials is a photograph of blackened severed human ears hanging from a metal pipe. According to journalists, the general sent the picture to his wife.
The correspondence discusses what can be done with this ‘trophy’. In response to his wife’s question about future plans, the officer writes that he will ‘make a garland and give it as a gift’. The wife compares what she saw to ‘pig ears for beer’.
These fragments became the central part of the investigation, as they involve a direct admission of the practice of handling prisoners, which falls under the definition of war crimes in international law.
Journalists claim that before publication, they secured the conclusions of three experts who confirmed the authenticity of the archive.
Connection with Chechen war practices
The publication Meduza points out that the practice of cutting off ears as a ‘trophy’ appeared in the Russian army during the Chechen campaigns. Demurchiev began his service in Chechnya and, according to the correspondence materials, mentioned this experience more than once.
In 2024, he sent a voice message to an employee of the FSB special unit Vympel, in which he effectively confirmed the existence of such actions. The audio states that ‘at our age, we no longer do this, we only give orders for someone to do something’.
Such formulations indicate the possible systemic nature of the practice, rather than an isolated episode.
Career and official reputation
Roman Demurchiev has been participating in the war against Ukraine since February 2022. Official Russian sources called him ‘an example of courage and professionalism’. In March 2022, the army newspaper Zvezda published materials about his combat actions.
Subsequently, he received awards, including an order from the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, and was promoted to the rank of major general.
In parallel, private correspondence discussed supply issues, attitudes towards personnel, command questions, and internal conflicts in the army. The authors of the investigation note signs of nepotism and possible corruption.
A Ukrainian journalist tried to contact Demurchiev by phone. The general answered the call but refused to comment on questions regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.
International context and legal perspective
From the point of view of international humanitarian law, the actions described in the published materials can be qualified as war crimes. It is about torture and abuse of prisoners, which is explicitly prohibited by the Geneva Conventions.
The archive is not an external assessment but private conversations of the officer himself. This is what enhances their evidential significance in the public space.
In this context, NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes that such publications affect not only the perception of the war in Ukraine but also international discussions about the personal responsibility of commanders.
Materials continue to be analyzed by journalists and human rights activists. Their publication raises the question of where the line is between individual cruelty and systemic practice in the conditions of a protracted conflict.
Even in the fourth year of the war, such testimonies demonstrate that the informational side of the conflict remains no less significant than the military.