Confused why the Russians would use 3G/4G towers for their ERA secure communications

[Andy Burnelli]

Confused why the Russians would use 3G/4G towers for their
ERA secure communications.

One FSB agent was apparently identified by his actual name, as a result
of a simple reverse-phone-lookup by Bellingcat of his cellphone number.

<https://latestpagenews.com/news/russians-wont-be-able-to-use-encrypted-phone-system-in-ukraine-after-destroying-pylons-expert-suggests/>=
"The main explanation is that ERA required 3G or 4G to work
and the Russian Army destroyed those masts as they advanced"

Why would the Russians rely on the 3G/4G cell towers of another country for
_military_ secure communications inside that country during wartime C2?

It's baffling.
Maybe it's not true?

There are similar accounts on the net so if it's true that the ERA secure
communications use local 3G/4G cellular towers, my question is why would the
Russians design their secure communications to use local 3G/5G cell towers?

And even then, how did the typical SIM-carded cellphone work for that call?
--
REF
<https://securykid.com/russian-officer-complains-about-meltdown-of-communications-with-a-dead-general-on-an-intercepted-phone/>
<https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/03/09/russian-phones-hacked/>
<https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/ukraine-russian-militarys-own-encrypted-phones-impacted-after-destroying-3g4g-towers-allowing-comms-to-be-intercepted/>
<https://inews.co.uk/news/world/russian-troops-era-phone-system-ukraine-destroyed-4g-masts-1504149>
<https://news.sky.com/story/russians-reportedly-take-out-own-secure-communications-system-during-kharkiv-assault-12560577>
<https://www.rawstory.com/russia-ukraine-war/>
<https://euroweeklynews.com/2022/03/08/russian-soldiers-called-idiots-for-destroying-3g-towers/amp/>
etc.

[Andy Burnelli]

This report says that the Ukrainians arrested a hacker working for the
Russians who was "accused of being on "thousands" of phone calls to Russian
officials, including senior military officers and of sending text messages
to Ukrainian officials suggesting that they surrender. The equipment seized
was used to route Ukrainian mobile phone traffic to Russian networks,
according to Victor Zhora, a senior cybersecurity official in the Ukrainian
government."
<https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/15/europe/ukraine-detains-hacker/index.html>

[Andy Burnelli]

This article from the BBC today implies that the Russian generals are being
targeted based on cell phone calls, among other things. If true, they're
ignorant of cellphone technology.

Fourth Russian general killed - Zelensky
<https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60767664>
"For Ukraine to target specific Russian officers, it needs to know where
they are. Analysts say that Russia has been using open channels of
communications which could give clues about where certain targets are
located.

"If the Russians are using mobile phones or analogue radios to communicate
with senior officers, the Ukrainians have everything on their plate,"
defence analyst Konrad Muzyka of Rochan Consulting told the BBC."

After the death of another senior officer - Maj Gen Vitaly Gerasimov -
Ukraine released a recording purporting to be two Russian security officers
discussing the general's death, and complaining that their secure
communications network was not working.

[Andy Burnelli]

This article today says it directly as "A Russian general was killed after
Ukrainian forces intercepted and geolocated his call, reports say."

Ukraine killed a Russian general after he made an unsecured call that gave
away his location, report says
<https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-general-killed-after-ukraine-intercepted-unsecured-call-nyt-2022-3>

Hint to others on this newsgroup, if someone is out to kill you, then don't
use a cellphone (whether the insecure Apple or even a secure Android).

All cellphones can be geolocated (unless you're smarter than they are).
And you're not.

Ask the Russian general why I say that.