Are there volunteers in Donbass? How to become mercenaries in Donbass

A fighter who recently returned from Donbass, where, as UKROP reports with reference to Argumentua.com, pro-Russian forces are fighting against the Ukrainian army and people.

In September, we buried Vladimir Kamynin, a veteran of our Afghan-Chechen brotherhood, at the Sestroretsk cemetery near St. Petersburg. He was brought from Donbass in a zinc box, exactly the same as those they had in Afghanistan...

Kamynin did not fight in Afghanistan, he went through Chechnya, then some wind brought him to Syria - either under a contract, or through a private military company. With the outbreak of events in Donbass, he returned to his homeland to volunteer for Ukraine. He died at the age of 37. Why, for what, for whom - remained unanswered. Later, his relatives were given the Order of Courage, with which the Motherland noted his merits (posthumously).

There were several other people from St. Petersburg with him. While they are fighting. I had a chance to meet and talk with one of them, who recently returned from a new “hot spot”. He asked not to give his first and last name, so let it just be Artem.

Artem fought in the second Chechen campaign and was a fighter in the special forces.

- How do volunteers get to Ukraine?

Differently. Some people find telephone addresses on the Internet, others are given tips at military registration and enlistment offices, some simply go to Rostov-on-Don, and then find their bearings there. The guys from St. Petersburg called me. They had already been there, it was easier with them. When there is a recommendation or someone who will speak for you, it is easier to pass inspections and get a normal job.

- Are they seriously checking?

Not really. You fill out a simple form, much like when you get hired as a loader: who, what, where you served, who you worked for - and that’s it. The main thing is to have someone vouch from those who have already been there. And so all kinds of people came across - both on the wanted list and under the article. But no one cares about this, they take people like that too, they don’t pay attention to them, as long as the offenses are not serious - not murder, not robbery, not rape.

- Army position, rank, combat experience - do they matter?

I wouldn’t say... Specialists are valued - gunners-operators, fire spotters, signalmen. These are in a special position. The rest are simply sent to rifle units, they don’t look at their previous ranks, officers in the positions of ordinary soldiers are a common thing. Yes, no one there knows each other either by rank or by name.

Immediately upon arrival you are given a call sign, “drive” - and you live under it. Documents, phones, even army badges - everything is taken away. Within three days you get so used to the “clicks” that you no longer respond to your name. And about the rank, who fought where - you already find out, by chance, in conversations. By the way, a lot former people from different special forces, from internal troops, landing force, snipers. But we need simple driver mechanics and artillerymen.

We were immediately sent from the assembly point to training in the Rostov region. Now everything is different, units are being formed - platoons, companies, battalions, combat coordination and training sessions are taking place. Everything is structured, closed to a single command. The discipline is almost like in the army. Dismissals were allowed, but people were easily kicked out for being late.

In my presence, several people were expelled for leaving the city three hours late. They pushed around, twitched - they won’t accept you anywhere. And they set off across the border on their own. The Cossacks take everyone indiscriminately, there is such a slight anarchy there, they are not closed to anyone, they do not depend on anyone. But, it’s true, they also want to structure them somehow, tie them to higher headquarters.

- How do they cross the border - are there any guides or crossings?

Yes, there is not a border there, but a solid sieve. They walk calmly in any direction, no one asks anyone where or why. And so everything is clear. Equipment with armed units in columns cross the border simply during the day, without hiding from anyone.

- Equipment, weapons, uniforms - where did all this come from? Do people drive up in their camouflage or are they issued there?

Some wear theirs, if it’s comfortable and familiar, but, as a rule, everyone is dressed in army uniform, without any stripes, identification marks or even manufacturer’s labels. The weapons are old army weapons, from Soviet warehouses. No new sniper rifles or machine guns, which are not in service with the Ukrainian security forces, are being issued. The equipment, they say, was brought in from Crimea, or that which was captured in the Donbass. They said that an attack aircraft was captured at the airfield, so two more of ours with the same numbers and livery are now flying under it - from different airfields and in different directions...

- What about the connection? Are there modern means or like in the last century on the old 123s? And in general, do they use GPS, phones, the Internet?

Communications - not very good. The equipment is old, as a rule. There are, of course, modern Motorolas, but not many, only commanders. IN living conditions secretly, of course, you can theoretically use telephones if the command does not light it up. It’s like it used to be - a fighter will call home quietly, saying, I’m at a construction site in Sochi, or he’ll come up with something else, but the Ukrainians intercept the call and call the parents themselves: “Do you know where your son is now?

Do you know that he is a criminal and a murderer and will be put on the international wanted list?” In general, psychological pressure and treatment of relatives begins. Therefore, experienced people in hometown Before leaving, he buys a “left” SIM card, and buys the same local one on the spot - and thus maintains contact. There is also the Internet, but they are already trying not to get involved in social networks - if they get on it, then only read the news.

- How much money does an ordinary soldier receive, and where does the money come from?

So far in the educational department - 80 thousand rubles per month. How do you cross the border - 120 thousand a month or 60 thousand a week if you participate in military clashes. (That’s why they like to shoot there, even if there is no particular need!). The money comes from “sponsors”, from which ones and where - who knows? Maybe from Yanukovych, maybe from someone else. But they pay regularly.

During training, the guys from somewhere in Siberia received an advance payment and quietly disappeared. They said we’d stop by home to take some money and come back after the holidays. And with the ends! They also pay for the protection of enterprises - a whole platoon can guard some factory for the production of double-glazed windows (a very important production) or some mine. Moreover, there are mines that are not fired upon by either side. Some are also guarded by volunteers. The owners probably pay...

- What regions are the volunteers mainly from?

We had a lot from Stavropol, from the Urals, from our north, from the central regions. There are ethnic units there - a Chechen battalion, a lot of Ossetians, both from North and South Ossetia, our guys met the Serbian detachment. Now everything is more or less strict, there is a unified command, but before, they told us who was going to the forest, who was going to get firewood. It was easy to come under friendly fire; no one knew where, who, in what place he was sitting, what he was defending, or where he was attacking.

- What about the wounded and the dead? Is there some kind of evacuation service, hospitals? How are the bodies of the murdered sent, how are they even identified if there are no documents with them?

The wounded can easily be treated on the spot; the seriously injured are generally sent to Rostov.

It’s different with the dead. The commanders, of course, have data on all of us. They contact relatives, deliver them to the border, provide money for travel and transportation of the body. The dead are entitled to a million rubles, but their relatives receive this later... If there are no relatives, they can dig it up at the place of death. On the Ukrainian side, too, by the way, they act in different ways. Sometimes they don’t react in any way to the offer to take the corpses of their fighters. They probably don’t need the extra fuss either. It is necessary to answer for those killed, to pay relatives, and so we can say that they themselves allegedly went over to our side and are hiding somewhere in Russia.

- There have been cases of looting and robberies of the population, is there any punishment for this?

A common thing in war... At the beginning of the campaign, they said, entire columns of cars, jeeps, trucks, and construction equipment were driven towards the border. I haven’t heard of anyone being punished for this, everyone lives by this. It is for more serious things - rape, bullying, torture - that they are held accountable. In the “training” they gave us an example of how one unit commander shot a soldier who was caught raping a girl right in the courtyard of the barracks near the wall. Well, he sent the coffin home with an accompanying letter saying that he died a hero.

- I know that you are going there again. Tell me, why, what draws you there - money, adventure, fame?

Yes, a little bit of everything. What is there to do here? There is no job, no family, all my friends are there. What else can I do in life? Something like this...

The Dorovskys were accepted into the Prizrak brigade of Alexey Mozgovoy, which operated in the Lugansk region, then he fought on the territory of the DPR. But, once in the Donbass, Bondo Dorovskikh discovered that what was happening there was not at all what he had dreamed of, and “there is no “Russian idea” there.” Realizing that propaganda had deceived him, Bondo Dorovskikh returned to Russia. “Everything has turned upside down in my head so much that I want to join the ranks of the national battalions of Ukraine to defend their independence,” writes a former militiaman.

About what he saw in eastern Ukraine, Bondo Dorovskikh told Radio Liberty:

Bondo Dorovskikh in the program "Results of the Week"

– Many go to fight for money. You are a businessman, a wealthy person. What prompted you to go to war?

– I really thought that Russia was in danger, mercenaries were fighting there, trying to take over our country, I thought that Donbass was an outpost of Russia, where we should stand and defend our interests.

– That is, purely ideological considerations without material makeweight?

– There was no question of material things, because I bought all the ammunition myself, the bulletproof vest. It cost me about a hundred thousand to go there and pack myself. Therefore, there was no talk about money. Yes, they don’t pay much money there, now it’s 360 dollars, and not everyone gets it. People go there, some for adventure, some for combat experience... Everyone has their own reasons. Of course, for the most part these people have some kind of disorder. Like ISIS, why do people go there? They think that they will be needed there, that they will be in demand. It's the same here. When you get there, literally from the first minutes you understand that this is not a military unit - this is a real gang.

– PDo you remember what was the last straw when you finally decided to go? Did you read some show on TV or read something on the Internet?

– I always had in my head the channel “Russia-24”, where they showed recent history Ukraine. And then I even told myself: I won’t go there, I don’t need it. I told myself this every morning. But it was worth turning on the TV, where from morning to evening this was all they talked about... Of course, the means mass media influenced.

– Have you been to Ukraine before, do you know this country?

- No, I never have. – this was my first visit.

– Where did you go to become a volunteer?

– There are several possibilities on the Internet. There is an international brigade from Limonov’s party “The Other Russia”, a small questionnaire is sent to the address email, they inform you that you need to come, say, to Shakhty, and from Shakhty they are already transported to the militia area. I wrote to everyone, I wrote to the international brigade, the DPR military registration and enlistment office was opened in Moscow, I wrote there, they gave me contacts, they supposedly approved my application form. Everyone there approves the application form. Then they give you a phone number. When you arrive in Rostov-on-Don, you call this number, they tell you where you need to go, where the transshipment point is.

– That is, there is no verification, they are not interested in your military experience, they do not check whether you are a provocateur?

– There are no checks at all. Moreover, there were cases when someone crossed the border with a photocopy, while others had no documents at all. When we arrived at the militia, they simply asked for our last name, first name, patronymic and that’s all. You take a photo, and they give you an ID card in the name you gave.

– And they give out weapons?

– Most likely, the weapon is given to you right away. In general, I was a sniper, I had a machine gun, I had a rifle. There was a grenade launcher and a machine gun, in principle, small arms were everything. When we arrived at the position in Nikishino, on the front line, local militias were standing there, they had one horn for each and a machine gun, they were not really dressed, but we had everything, we were fully equipped – and grenades, and machine guns, and RPGs, and charges for them, absolutely everything. We even had two of our own cars in which we could get around.

– Was this all given to you in the Rostov region at the training camp?

– No, they don’t issue anything in the Rostov region, it was all issued in the Donbass. In the Rostov region, militiamen who had previously been tank crews in the army were sent to a training ground, where they were trained at this training ground, and crews were formed. There they were given weapons. I saw it myself. These tanks were transported on trawls to the border of Russia and Ukraine, where they crossed under their own power and were sent directly to the combat zone. And they gave me weapons in Donbass.

– How did you cross the border?

“They took us across the field.” The first time we arrived at the checkpoint officially, but I had a restriction on traveling abroad, they didn’t let me through there. Then the border guard told me: there are no problems, the guys will guide you through. They actually took us through, formed a larger group, about 15 people, and during the day we simply drove across the field, there was no border as such.

– Did you have a debt restriction on leaving?

– I have a small debt with the bailiffs, so my travel abroad was prohibited, I didn’t know about it.

– Was the unit formed in Russia or already on the territory of Donbass?

– You join the unit already on the territory of Donbass. There are several transshipment points in the Rostov region, where they gather and await shipment. Someone wants to join the DPR, someone wants to join the LPR, someone wants to join the “Ghost” brigade. – this is taken into account, you will be sent there. We arrived at the Prizrak brigade at night, in the morning they come from various companies, they offer: if you want to go to Vergulevka, where there was contact, you want to go into reconnaissance, if you want to become a tank crew, if you want to go into counterintelligence - please, wherever you want, you go there.

– But are some skills needed?

​– Theoretically, yes, there should be some skills. But what are the skills in counterintelligence? What kind of counterintelligence agents are there? They simply have power and are engaged in open lawlessness. Skills are required if you are, say, a tank driver. What skills are needed to shoot or stand in a trench? Stand still and stand still, there is an artillery war going on. And then this whole herd begins to move, the tanks go in one direction, and these tanks simply don’t have a tank intercom, they don’t have a walkie-talkie, the infantry can’t shout to the tankers, the tankers go in one direction, the infantry goes in the other direction, and no no coordination, no training, nothing. Do you think this herd could win the war? The war in the summer, do you know how we won? "Sushi" flew in from Russia. One of the militiamen, who was at the anti-aircraft installation, said: an order has been received, now “dryers” will fly in, do not open fire on them. In the summer there were Russian troops, most likely. I heard from the militia that there were planes. I myself did not see Russian troops. Officers, yes, I saw a lot of officers, “vacationers” who were there. There are several Russian career officers at the headquarters of the same “Ghost”.

– Did you communicate or just saw him by chance?

– I knew them very well, I visited the headquarters very often. I knew the chief of intelligence of the brigade headquarters, the chief of staff, the smaller chief of staff, I was in contact when the volunteers arrived. I communicated with the head of intelligence very often; we live nearby, both are Russian. I strived for exploration more, so we communicated more.

– What did the Ghost brigade do during your stay there?

​– When I was in “Ghost”, the brigade actually completely controlled the city of Alchevsk. Our combat units were on the line of contact in Vergulevka, Komissarovka and a couple of other settlements. There are 100-150 people in Vergulevka, small units in Komissarovka, and all the rest were in Alchevsk. In principle, the DPR and LPR did not recognize the Prizrak brigade. They had an internal confrontation, they imposed restrictions on the supply of weapons. There was a time when weapons did not come from Russia very much, neither artillery nor tanks, but somehow they managed to solve these issues in “Ghost”. Several dormitories: volunteers constantly arrived from Russia, and from other countries too. The only one who trained – These are Spaniards, they had an international company: Spaniards, Italians, French. For everyone else, the routine is this: the company commander got up in the morning, did a roll call, formation, and the same roll call in the evening. The rest of the time, the militias walk around Alchevsk, remove scrap metal, remove iron gates somewhere, engage in looting, rent it out so that they can have money to buy drinks and smokes. They are left to their own devices. They'll get drunk somewhere and shoot each other. It even happened: one got drunk and wanted to throw a grenade into the room, but they grabbed him in time. Such peaceful life. Those who are bored go to the front line.

– So they didn’t pay any salaries at all, you had to earn money by collecting scrap metal?

– Actually yes. Who sold the weapons? The Russians are collecting money, sending walkie-talkies, ammunition, body armor – It was all sold and drunk. That was life.

Militia in the "Imperial Legion". Bondo Dorovskikh - on a motorcycle

– What is the approximate ratio between local people in the Prizrak brigade and visitors from Russia and other countries?

– Somewhere, I think, 10 percent, maximum 30 visitors, everything else – these are locals.

– How did the local population treat you?

– When we arrived in Alchevsk, the next day we went to the market to exchange rubles, we met a grandmother who said: are you against us? Then literally half an hour later we went to church, a woman came up to me and said: we will have elections soon, who should we vote for? I say: vote whatever your heart desires. Can anyone tell you who to vote for? “We don’t need Putin, we don’t want to join Russia. We want to have an independent Ukraine.” This is the first thing I began to meet, and immediately upon arrival. Then in Nikishino I approached one woman and specifically asked her about it. I say: when Nikishino was under the armed forces of Ukraine, how did they run amok here? She says: no, everything was very good, there were no questions for them. But, he says, “Oplot” when it came – Zakharchenko headed Oplot, this was his division, – They just took us out of our houses and just drove cars, scooped up all sorts of little things there, took them out little by little, and just robbed us. Russians, save us, we, he says, are not afraid of the Nazis, we are afraid of Oplot, we are afraid of the militias. This is what I came across. There were also various statements from people who, in principle, consider us occupiers. They have a question: why did you come here?

– The local people who served with you in the brigade were ultra-patriots of Donbass, or did they have mercantile interests, or were they simply indifferent to politics?

​– It seems to me that they don't care about politics. For the most part, these are previously convicted, and repeatedly convicted. I have photographs that hung in our barracks, I photographed them. The comical thing is that these previously convicted people are looking for former employees police. No, they are all far from politics. They paid money in the DPR, they went there solely to sit out the war so that they would pay at least some kind of salary. Everyone else – These are just scumbags who were given weapons in their hands. Moreover, as a militia member, he has some kind of power. There are no laws there, and when there is traffic, the militia always drives through at red lights. If the local population sees that armed people are coming, of course, they always let the militias through, because the militias are armed. The militias say: they respect us, we can drive at red lights, we shouldn’t stop.

– You are an intelligent person, it was probably difficult for you to find a common language with them. How was your relationship?

– It didn’t really work out. I had a friend, he lived in Germany for 10 years, we talked with him. There were several Russians. Several other people are coming from Russia, not all, but there are people with whom you can communicate. Then the Spaniards, one guy from Madrid was young. There were people to talk to, but not many such people. That's probably why I left. I wanted to leave Alchevsk right away, but I also wanted to get to the front line and see what was happening there. There I began to sympathize with the opposing side. Because it was a truce, and they were covered with heavy cannon artillery, rocket artillery, and Grads, and they were simply reduced to ashes. When you hear on the radio that our guys near Nikishino burned two Urals with manpower, when you hear people screaming there, of course, you understand that everything is happening exactly the opposite of what you thought. A feeling of pity for the other side who are simply being destroyed there. And they are destroyed by ordinary thugs, it makes no difference to them who they fight against, their lifestyle is such a gangster one.

– Was this immediately after the signing of the first Minsk agreements?

– Yes. I was in Nikishino from November, November-December. In Vergulevka it was absolutely the same. They bombed the opposite part from our side.

– Did the Ukrainians observe the truce and not respond?

​– No, of course, they also hit us hard. But I looked at the losses; ours constantly made forays there. Two Urals were burned in front of me, then a tank was knocked out, then an armored personnel carrier was knocked out. Once they get drunk, they’ll go to the checkpoint. There were no attacks on us from that side. Although I understood very well that it would be easy to kill us, there were maybe 80 of us in this Nikishino, it would be easy to kill us from Kamenka, where a huge number of the enemy were located... They simply didn’t have the desire to do that.

– Were there many deaths in your unit?

– No, on our side in Nikishino, in a month one person only died; he was wounded in the head by a shell fragment. On the other flank, where there was a company commander, his call sign was “Biker”, I also didn’t hear from them that people were dying.

– You said that the Prizrak brigade had conflictual relations with the DPR. How did this conflict manifest itself and what were its causes?

– The DPR and LPR did not want to recognize the Prizrak brigade, it was some kind of political issue. They suggested that Mozgovoy join the LPR not as a whole brigade, but disband it in parts, so that he would not have any power. He, of course, did not agree to this; he wanted to remain an independent figure.

– Did you communicate with him directly?

– He said hello, but did not communicate. I talked with Strelkov, but this was still in Moscow. I met Strelkov by chance, and we talked about Mozgovoy. He said that this is the only commander he still trusts.

– And when did you first feel disappointment – ​​when did you realize that what you were told on “Russia-24” was not true at all? Was it a slow process of realization or did you feel it from the very beginning?

– From the very beginning. As soon as we crossed the border, the first thing we saw literally 5 minutes later was – it was a fight between the militia. Then a column arrived about two hours later, the deputy brigade commander Nikolaich Mozgovoy was walking around with a pistol, he wanted to shoot the two drivers. I immediately realized where I was, there was no smell of the army here. I was disappointed right away, but later it was only confirmed.

- Why did you hold out for six months?

​– It was like this: I came in July, stayed for a week, left there, and returned to the Russian Federation. In Moscow I met with Strelkov, it was just by chance that we met him on Rublevskoye Highway in a shopping center. And somehow I thought that maybe I hadn’t looked at everything completely, maybe somewhere everything was different. Initially, I wanted to go to Strelkov, I thought that perhaps something depended on the commander. Then I went again, just arrived in October. I spent time in the "Ghost" and became convinced that everything was as I thought. Then I went to the DPR, to Nikishino, and saw absolutely the same thing. Moreover, I talked with other people there about how things are at Zarya in the LPR, everything is the same everywhere.

– How long do you think the self-proclaimed republics will last?

– If Russia had not helped, none of this would have happened. Russia is determined to continue to support this movement, so the militias will hold out for a long time.

– What would you like to say to listeners in Russia who are wondering whether to help the self-proclaimed republics?

​– I would like to advise you not to go to Donbass – this is false patriotism. There is no Russia there, there is real aggression there. Moreover, you will simply end up in a gang. When I recently saw information that a policeman from Moscow, an investigator, left his job and went there, my hair just stood on end. He just went to the real lair. I don’t know how he will live there among such people. I would like to advise people not to go there, because it has nothing to do with protecting the homeland. They show us on TV as if this is already a Great Patriotic War, in fact, this is not the Great Patriotic War, but this is real aggression. We have entered this territory, and the Russian authorities are supporting terror. If we had not gone there, if Russia had not helped the militia, there would not have been thousands killed, there would have been nothing there at all. Where did it start? Strelkov arrived there with his group, Strelkov is a military man, give him the opportunity - he will fight all his life. I was such an ardent supporter of this movement, I encouraged people to go there, but when I went back, the FSB stopped me at the border, we talked with them for a long time. I told them everything just as openly as you do now. Moreover, they told me: before you, 180 Russians left there a week ago. They only asked for one thing: just don’t talk about it. I told them: I will return, I will tell everyone on social networks so that people do not go there, because everything is completely different from what they show us. There are murders and robberies. Moreover, from the first moment I realized that if someone could kill me here, then most likely it was not the armed forces of Ukraine, not the enemy, but simply one of the militias could shoot you when you were drunk.

– Is it easy to leave the squad? You just throw the machine gun on the table and say: that’s it, I’m going back to Russia? Or does it have to be done secretly?

​– You are a volunteer, you say: that’s enough, I want to leave. In Nikishino, however, they asked me to stay, because they said: there are not many of you here, stay, where will you go? I say: okay, I’ll stay another week. A week later again. I’m generally silent about the locals; I got the impression that they are forced. About two weeks later, I just came, handed over my rifle, because it was registered on me, there was an opportunity to leave the next day, the car was leaving, I handed over the rifle and said: I’m leaving for Russia. I had absolutely no obligations to them. Your company commander comes there twice a week for half an hour and quickly runs away, there are no commanders, no one there. I'm like cannon fodder there. And there is nothing to fight for. The main thing is that there is nothing to fight for! I would be glad to be of some use, but this is not the kind of war where it’s worth risking the most precious thing you have.

– Yours Political Views during this time changed to the exact opposite?

– Yes. Moreover, I had a negative attitude towards our current government before, because I once had a fairly successful business, an oil depot, and I was engaged in large wholesale. Then I lost, thanks to our authorities. But a year ago I changed my opinion about Putin, about the current government, I thought: what a great guy. And now this veil has fallen.

How and where to join the people's militia of New Russia? How much do they pay for this?

The civil bloodshed in Ukraine does not leave anyone indifferent around the world. Among Russians there are many volunteers who are ready to fight along with the militias of Novorossiya and even give their lives in the fight against Ukrainian fascism. We will discuss further how you can join the ranks of the Donbass militia.

There are two ways for volunteers to join the ranks of the DPR militia.

First way. In the summer of 2014, a military registration and enlistment office for the Donbass militia opened in Moscow. The organization helps volunteers from Russia join the New Russia militia. What needs to be done for this? First of all, you need to contact a representative of the people's military registration and enlistment office via Skype or email.

Skype: novoross2405.

E-mail: [email protected].

The application must indicate your full name, age, education, and field of activity. The organizers of the military registration and enlistment office appeal special attention for the next moment: the letter must be sent only from your mailbox, and not from messengers, otherwise the answer will not reach the recipient. Next, you need to wait for an approving response from the militia representative and only then will you be able to set off. Initially, you need to get to Rostov-on-Don on your own, and already there a representative of the militia will contact you, he will help you cross the border and get to Donetsk.

The military conflict that has been ongoing in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of 2014 still attracts the attention of millions of people, including residents of other states. And they probably have a lot of questions to which there are many answers. It is quite difficult to understand which of them corresponds to the truth, since information usually comes from sources related to one of the conflicting parties. Magazine IQ Review I tried to take a neutral approach to the problem and give answers to the most important questions about civil war in Ukraine: who is fighting in the Donbass, how people live in the DPR and LPR today, what the Donbass militias are fighting with and how much they are paid for it. Our correspondent Denis visited the ATO zone and reports the latest reports from the Novorossiya front.

Who is involved in the conflict in Ukraine?

There are two parties to the conflict (officially): these are the Armed Forces of Novorossiya (VSN) and the formations included in them, on the one hand, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and several volunteer battalions (some of which are on the front line, the rest are located throughout the country), on the other. In fact, if you go deeper, the answer will be much more multifaceted.

The parties to the conflict are different, but similar

Who is fighting in Donbass

Firstly, on both sides there are a considerable number of mercenaries- people for whom war is work. For the most part, these are people who managed to take part in military clashes (from Iraq to Chechnya) that occurred over the past recent years. These are also those who do not yet have “real” experience, but have served in the army and want to earn money in this way (most often, of course, these are people from low-income segments of the population).

Secondly, on both sides there are participants who were brought into the trenches by ideology. Some came to defend Ukrainian land from “Russian aggression”, others came to eradicate “resurgent Ukrainian fascism”. “I want to fight for Donbass” is a very real desire of many Russians, mostly young people, and people really went for the idea. They came and agreed to join the militia on the spot - it’s not that difficult, people are always needed there. Some Donbass militias from Russia later returned home disabled (or did not return at all).

And finally - on both sides too There are also enough people who simply decided to radically change their lives. Usually these are those close to you, as well as those who have some problems with the law. There are also those (albeit a few) who pick up a weapon simply to get a thrill - these may be successful people having a large family.

Why do people go to fight in Donbass?

Separately, it should be said about motivation. On the VSN side, the vast majority are quite strongly motivated. This includes both the local population, who are simply defending their homes, and people coming here from various countries(mercenaries, to be honest). They are driven not only and not so much by the thirst for profit (after all, you can’t make millions there, but you can most likely stay in the land), but by some principles and beliefs.

Things are completely different in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the formations defending the interests of the current government. After the mobilization (there were several waves), the ranks of the army were replenished quite a large number those who do not want to fight (including those who were born or lived in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions). Those who really wanted to took up arms at the beginning of the conflict, so the vast majority of recruits are “random” people, and they could even get into the Armed Forces of Ukraine under duress (for example, in the territory of the Lugansk region in populated areas, summonses were handed directly to streets).

Ukrainian patch on the uniform

Think for yourself: what motivation and desire to fight could they have? Of course, as long as the conflict is frozen and at least a conditional truce is maintained, such people can serve their military service relatively calmly. But with the outbreak of hostilities, Kyiv’s tactics may not lead to the result that he expects.

How do people living in the territory of the republics of the LPR and DPR live now?

It goes without saying that the war, as well as the economic blockade of the territories occupied by the republics, could not have a positive impact on their population. By the way, many people simply left their homes: some of them went to Russia (temporarily or with the aim of staying there for a long time, up to obtaining citizenship), and a smaller part - to the territory controlled by Ukraine.

It was worst for those who occupied not very important positions (managers, bank employees, service workers), as well as those who worked at closed enterprises. Such people are the majority: in fact, for now, teachers, doctors, and military personnel (of course) (those who are somehow involved in serving the military forces) remain in business. These categories of the population live an order of magnitude better: they receive a salary (in Russian rubles, although not too large, but relatively stable), food, and clothing.

By the way, “prohibition” applies everywhere to military personnel, which cannot be said about the Armed Forces of Ukraine and battalions (the news periodically contains reports about widespread drunkenness in the Ukrainian ranks, and about incidents that arise on this basis).

However, the ordinary population (those who remained) are not allowed to die of starvation. Regularly arriving humanitarian convoys are, in fact, the only help, without which it would be extremely difficult for the republics.

Of course, residents of the DPR and LPR live practically from hand to mouth, many lost their houses and apartments and were forced to move. In this regard, now everything is simple: there is a lot of free housing in cities. You can't. On the contrary, property owners who are leaving are even willing to pay those who agree to live in their apartments - otherwise they can either be robbed or taken over.

There is not only a shortage of products: problems are also observed in the medical field - a shortage of medicines, qualified personnel, and equipment. This was especially acute during the period of aggravation of the conflict - when a large number of wounded of varying severity were received almost every day.

The Donbass economy is virtually dead today. As of 2015, industry and any economic movement in the republics had practically stopped. There are some shops, most of them grocery stores, on the shelves of which there are only necessary products at inflated (even higher than in Moscow) prices. Coal is mined and stored - land on " black gold“It is very rich, and even Ukraine buys it from the republics (which, by the way, is now experiencing serious problems with fuel).

Who supplies the militias with money, weapons, food and equipment and why?

Naturally, tens of thousands of people who are participating in the Ukrainian conflict on the side of the VSN must be supplied, and supplied well. Weapons (and not only Kalash) and ammunition for them, equipment, spare parts and ammunition for them, fuels and lubricants and fuel, equipment, clothing, protective equipment, medicines, food, and just money - for the “salaries” of the military and state employees... Of course, there were warehouses in the republics, and combat units from the territories now occupied by the Ukrainian army were also drawn here, but there was simply nowhere to replenish stocks for almost six months.

Therefore, the answer suggests itself: militia forces are financed and supplied from outside, and supplied seriously. The only possible "sponsor" is Russian Federation. Of course, the state budget is unlikely to have an article on “financial and financial assistance VSN,” and hardly anyone will ever admit this openly. However, help - regular and significant - definitely takes place. It goes without saying that no one will transfer serious equipment and modern developments to the militia forces - this would immediately indicate the obvious participation of the Russian Federation.

Moscow riot police officer on condition of anonymity:

“All our experienced employees were offered business trips to Novorossiya. Business trips are paid very well; the boys bought themselves an apartment in Moscow within a year. But I refused, money can’t buy another life. Everything is entirely voluntary and secret, of course.”

There are a huge number of reasons for such “sponsorship”. First of all, it is the reluctance to have a hostile state at hand. On at the moment The DPR and LPR play the role of a kind of buffer. In addition, over time, when the conflict begins to smooth out (most likely - not in a year or two) - these territories can be annexed, like Crimea.

An equally important factor is the political side of the issue. For almost the entire world (USA, Europe), militia forces personify Russia. And the failures (and even more so the complete defeat) of Novorossiya in the eyes of millions of people are failures of Russia - which is a blow to the “image” of the country.

How much do militias and military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbass get paid?

Only those who are absolutely “frostbitten” or ardent patriots and nationalists are willing to risk their lives and kill other people for nothing. A much more significant motivation for the participants in the conflict (on both sides) is money. For different structures, “salary” can be different, and it can differ significantly. Let's try to figure out which of the military receives how much.

Military salaries in Ukraine in 2015

To begin with, here is a list for those who are participating in the conflict on the Ukrainian side:

• private of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: about 3000-3300 UAH (at the current exchange rate - a little more than 9000 rubles);
• private of the National Guard: about 5000-6000 UAH (at the current exchange rate - 15-18 thousand rubles);
• junior officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: about 6,000 UAH (18,000 rubles);
• battalion private: from 4,000 UAH (12,000 rubles).

The amounts indicated above may differ from the actual amounts, and significantly. It depends on:

The battalion in which the fighter serves (everyone has different funding, and accordingly, different salaries);

Location where the formation is located (additional bonuses are awarded at the front line);

Fulfillment of the assigned task (additional bonuses are awarded for this).

There are also problems with payments - due to the bustle and disorder that reigns in the General Staff (and also because of), salaries are often delayed or paid in parts.

Salaries of DPR militias*

Those who serve in the Armed Forces of Novorossiya are paid much better:

• rank and file: from 50,000 rubles;
• officers: from 80,000 - 90,000 rubles;
• soldiers who have real combat experience (previously participated in military conflicts, as well as those who have a sought-after specialty): from 80,000 rubles.

*Data obtained by interviewing militias and local residents

We are Donbass (video)

Journalists from the Russian Novaya Gazeta interviewed a participant in the fighting in Donbass. This is “a man in his thirties who participated in several military campaigns as part of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. In civilian life he worked in personal security.”

According to him, the recruitment of mercenaries for the war in Ukraine is carried out in several ways: narrow specialists are sought through military registration and enlistment offices, people with combat experience are sought through veteran organizations, of which there are a lot in Russia, most recruitment is underway also through the Russian “Cossacks”. It happens that recruiters bring random people to collection points. According to the “volunteer”, once a person was checked and turned out to be homeless from the station, another - with mental retardation. They are attracted mainly by money.

“Some have never even seen such money,” says the “volunteer.” “We have - from 60 thousand rubles (per month, about 20 thousand hryvnia. - Ed.), There are those who receive 80, 90 thousand, commanders - even more. But 60 thousand rubles is the limit for an ordinary soldier,” he said.

Also, compensation is provided for militants: for a minor injury - 120 thousand, medium - 180, severe - 360. There is also compensation for death - the same 360 ​​thousand plus funeral arrangements. At the same time, only those who return as part of their unit are paid for wounds. The militants are warned that the transition to the “field commanders” of the “DPR” and “LPR” is fraught with the initiation of a criminal case for mercenarism.

According to him, the organization of militants to participate in the conflict in Donbass is carried out jointly by the Cossacks, the FSB and the Russian Ministry of Defense, while their legalization and integration into the Russian security forces will continue.

“It all started with the Cossacks, the FSB was responsible for secrecy, and the Ministry of Defense provided the software, so to speak. Now there is talk that contracts will even be developed for us with the Ministry of Defense, as for civilian specialists. Tokens will be made, modeled after the military, but not exactly the same.” , he says.

“Well, there are several ways. If it’s a narrow specialty, then through the military registration and enlistment office, they were looking for people like that at home. Higher education institutions 107, 106, reconnaissance, sabotage specialties are in great demand. The second is from veteran organizations. There are a lot of them. “Combat Brotherhood”, “Combat Veterans” ", "Veterans of Afghanistan", "Warriors-Internationalists". They simply propose at the next meeting, they ask: who wants it? Mostly these are military personnel who are retired. various reasons. Reduced as a result of Serdyukov’s reforms, for example. They are recorded and then called in for a conversation. The conversation is conducted by FSB agents. This is basically a formality: almost everyone is accepted. Yes. One is already here, at the assembly point, and is being asked for his home address. He hesitates: “I don’t live according to registration.” - “Where do you live?” - “Well, I don’t live at home.” In short, it turned out that he was spending the night at the station. Picked up from the station. There are very elderly people. One guy actually has mental retardation, well, mental retardation (delay mental development), they put him in the kitchen to cook for now, someone has to. I think recruiters are paid per person, that's all. According to their reports, all the volunteers are probably super fighters, super specialists,” he said about the recruiting team.

"After a conversation with the “faces” they are sent to Rostov. The address of the collection point is not given, but they meet you at the station. Upon arrival, they will reimburse the cost of the tickets. Well, yes. Otherwise, you can return the ticket, not go anywhere and get the money. That’s all unofficially. Ticket for the plane costs, say, 20 thousand. The recruiter will say that he recruited a group of 100 people, then he will hand over the tickets - that’s already 2 million. This is Russia. The collection point was located at the Minplit recreation center (a sanatorium in the city limits of Rostov-on-Don). . - ed.), now I don’t know. You hand over all the documents for signature - passport number such and such, military officer number such and such, bank cards. Everything remains at the collection point. The idea is that nothing should give away our affiliation. Russia. They take fingerprints, take photographs. Local FSB officers check whether you are wanted, whether you have committed criminal offenses, where you served and whether you actually served. Some are given a call sign. Then they are sent to Green Island (a small island in the middle). River Don, within the city limits of Rostov-on-Don, there are several tourist centers on the island. - ed.), to the Karavai recreation center. There are panel houses there, we live for four people. Roll call is also carried out by call sign. We're waiting for it to pick up sufficient quantity people so that we could be sent to the training ground. Classes are still being held, but everything depends on the unit commander. Does he care about preparation? They mainly give PHYS, MTD, TSP, topography and VMD (physical training, mine demolition, special tactical training, working with maps, military medical - ed.). But there are no weapons on the island, I’ll tell you right away. Some people leave when they see what a mess it is. Here comes a career military man, a regiment commander, and he is appointed battalion commander. OK then. He looked at how everything was organized and began asking questions. So smart? Get out of here! Instead of him they put a toothless drunk. What will he tell them? Those who are left to handle our question are amateurs. They do not have an academic military education...Then we are sent to a training ground for combat coordination. They only give it a few days. Many at this stage understand that their physical characteristics are not suitable for this, and they leave. Weapons are already being issued at the training ground. Shape... A number, and such that Russian army I didn’t dream of it, it was specially designed for Ukrainian greenery, for the local nature, and the quality of the material is completely different. If the battalion is formed as a motorized rifle battalion, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers are given. At the same time, it’s a wild mess. They say: so, the three of you are now tankers, and you will be artillerymen. Fine? People learn everything for a few days, you know? And that’s it, go ahead, get some dill. I saw how weapons and vehicles were issued without a receipt at all, people just came up and said: we are from such a detachment, we need two Kalash rifles and a car... And they were given them. At the training ground we hand over our mobile phones. As soon as the staff is filled, the group is sent. The combat mission is explained immediately before crossing the border or upon arrival at the center of resistance in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. The testing ground was first located near the village of Vesely. It was made simply in an open field. A lot of people were milling around there, and a large number of fighters had gathered. Those who normally leave the border as a group go to the training ground. The deserters went there, they didn’t even live on the territory, but literally in the bushes. Why should they: put a backpack under their head and sleep. They were waiting for them to be sent home. The wives of the departed fighters also came to look for their husbands, and they were also left to live there so that there would be no noise. It was a complete mess. Then they were placed on a permanent army training ground near Persianovka (Persianovsky village - ed.). Local militia groups from Lugansk also came there to re-form. thousand s superfluous person is at the training ground at the same time. Then we were transferred to Kuzminka (a training ground in the Rostov region, where large-scale airborne exercises were held in March of this year under the leadership of General Shamanov - ed.), it is closer to the border, more convenient,” the mercenary said about the process of recruitment and training.

“The losses are huge. We didn’t suffer such losses in the Chechen campaign. Those who go, for the most part, are completely untrained people. Up to 50% are laid on the three hundredth, two hundredth, deserters. Many don’t actually understand where they are going. There is a real , a full-scale war. Finding themselves in conditions of active hostilities, many throw down their weapons and scramble. So one of the detachments came in, 200 people in the first week - two hundred and three hundred were processed by artillery, that’s all. 82 people, in the first days - 30 wounded, 19 dead. If the commander has strong nerves, he tries to take back both 200 and 300, but usually not everyone can be taken out. The Ukrainians do not allow the bodies to be exchanged. Or the militias do not know where. send the bodies there. You die, and the local militia only knows your call sign. Some field commanders begin to act according to the law of war. There are different types of people going there too. But this is less common among volunteers. Therefore, the local population treats us better than the militias. They say: “You ask, but don’t rob.” For some, the laws of war are to take what is bad. There is one Armenian there, he gathered about 30 people, like a unit. Collects tribute from every humanitarian aid. If you want to carry humanitarian aid, you have to pay. Those who did not pay sooner or later ran into trouble Ukrainian army. They have already presented it to him. He says: “Is there any evidence? No - well, that’s all.” ...It must be said that until June 4, no survey of volunteers was conducted at all. That is, everyone who died before June 4 is unknown. There are now so many passports stored at the collection point... Moreover, one of the girls who worked at the collection point disappeared three weeks ago with part of the questionnaires. They say she is a Ukrainian patriot. Those whose profiles she took away were even warned that they were now probably not allowed to travel abroad. If the body of a fighter crosses the border, people are immediately appointed to take it to his relatives. As before, everything goes through Voenved (a former military town in Rostov, where Hospital 1602 is located with a center for receiving and dispatching the dead and a corpse storage facility - ed.), they are packaged there and sent immediately. This process is also supervised by the FSB. But I also had to participate,” he said about the losses in the ranks of Russian mercenaries.