Who war, and who your own mother

[DARPA]

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

Kamynin fought in Afghanistan, he went to Chechnya, then it skidded some wind in Syria - whether under a contract, or through a private military company. Since the beginning of the events in the Donbass returned to his homeland to go volunteer to Ukraine. In the 37 years died. Why, for what, for whom - remained unanswered. Later mother handed the Order of Courage, which Homeland noted his merits (posthumously).

With him were several other St. Petersburg. While fighting. With one of them, recently returned from the new "hot spot", had a chance to meet and talk. Name and the name he asked not to be called, so let it be just Artem.

Artem fought during the second Chechen war, was a fighter in the special forces.

- How to get volunteers to Ukraine?

- Different. Who on the Web addresses, phone numbers, who are in the military enlistment offices give a tip, some just go to Rostov-on-Don, but already there is a guide. I called the guys, our, St. Petersburg. They have been there with them was easier. When there is a recommendation or someone who will say for you, it is easier to pass inspection, get a normal place.

- What, seriously check?

- Yes, not really. Questionnaires were completed unpretentious, much like when a loader device: one of which, where he served, who worked - and all. The main thing is to have someone vouch from those who have already been there. And all the people caught - and wanted, and under Article. But nobody cares, and take such do not pay attention, if only articles were not serious - not murder, not robbery, not rape.

- Army position, rank, military experience - have a meaning?

- I would not say ... Valued specialists - gunner, fire spotters, communications. These - in a special position. Others simply send in infantry units, the title of the former do not look officers for positions ordinary soldiers - a common occurrence. Yes, there is no one to each other and do not know for no titles, no names. Immediately upon arrival they give you a call, "flog" - under it and live. Documents, phone numbers, even dog tags - all taken away. Three days so you get used to "a nickname" that has its name and not respond. And about the title, who fought where - already, by chance, in conversations you'll know. Lot, by the way, the former special forces from different people, from the internal troops, desantura snipers. A need simple mechanics, drivers, gunners.

We were immediately sent to the assembly point Lad Camp in the Rostov region. Now everything is different, is the formation of units - platoons, companies, battalions, passes combat coordination, training sessions. All structured, closed on a single command. Discipline almost like in the army. Layoffs were allowed, but for being late from leave easily expelled. When I was expelled several people for being three hours late from the city. They pushed around by pulling - will not accept. And they went across the border on their own. Cossacks take all indiscriminately, there's an easy anarchy, they are at no closed, neither of whom are independent. But, however, they also want to structure somehow tie to higher headquarters.

- And how to cross the border - there are some guides, transitions?

- Yes, there is no border, and a solid sieve. Quietly go in any direction, no one is asking - where, why. And so everything is clear. Technique with armed units columns crossing the border just in the afternoon, no one is hiding.

- Equipment, weapons, uniforms - from all of this? In his camouflage pulls people out there or issue?

- Someone in her, if convenient and familiar, but as a rule, all disguised in an army, without any stripes, markings, and even label manufacturers. Weapon - an old army, even with the Soviet warehouses. No recent sniper rifles, submachine guns, who are not armed with Ukrainian security services, not given. Technique, they say, have driven the Crimean well, or the one that captured in the Donbass. It was said that at the airport seized attack aircraft, because underneath it is still our two with the same number and coloring now fly - with different airfields and in different directions ...

- And as with communication? There are modern facilities, or as in the last century on the old 123's? In general, GPS, phones, Internet use?

- With ties - not very much. Technique is as old as the rule. There are, of course, and modern "Motorola", but few, only commanders. In a domestic environment on the sly, of course, you can theoretically use the phone if the command does not fuse. There as happened - a fighter call home quietly, saying, I am at a construction site in Sochi, or is there still something will come up, and "ukry" call intercept and already call themselves parents: "Do you know where your son is now? Do you know what he is a criminal and a murderer and will be put on the international wanted list? ". In general, the pressure begins psychological treatment and relatives. Therefore experienced people in his hometown before leaving sim card "left" buys on-site local same - and thus support the connection. Internet too, but in social networks are already trying not palitsya - if the climb, only to read the news.

- How much money gets an ordinary soldier, and where the means?

- While in the training unit - 80 thousand rubles a month. How to cross the border - 120 thousand per month, or 60,000 a week, if you participate in armed clashes. (So there love to shoot, even if there is no need!). The money goes from the "sponsors" of what and where - who knows? Maybe - Yanukovych can - even from someone. But pay regularly. In uchebke was - the guys from somewhere in Siberia and the advance received faded quietly. Said popped home - take the money, go back after the holidays. And meet! Pay more for the protection of enterprises - a platoon can guard any factory for the manufacture of glass (very current production) or any mine. And there are mines that are not shelling none, nor any other party. Some also protected by volunteers. The hosts probably pay ...

- Basically, from what regions of the volunteers?

- We had a lot to Stavropol, the Urals, from our north from the central regions. Is there ethnic divisions - Chechen battalion, many Ossetians, both from the North and from South Ossetia, our guys met Serbian squad. Now everything is more or less strictly, unified command, and earlier, told those in the woods, who for firewood. Easily could have been under friendly fire please, no one knew - where, who, in any place to sit, which defends, which is coming.

- What about the wounded, to the dead? There are some evacuation, hospitals? How to send the bodies of the dead, as they generally are identified, if they do not have documents?

- Injured and easily in place to handle, heavy Rostov mainly sent.

With the dead differently. Commanders, of course, there is evidence for all of us. Communicate with relatives, delivered to the border, provide money to travel, to transport the body. Dead relies million rubles, but it later receive relatives ... If no relatives can and place of death prikopat. On the Ukrainian side, too, by the way, in every act. On offer to pick up the bodies of their fighters sometimes do not react. They also probably do not need the extra fuss. For the answer must be killed, relatives to pay, and so we can say that they supposedly were on our side and hiding somewhere in Russia.

- The cases of looting, robbery of the population there were somehow being punished for it?

- A common occurrence in the war ... At the beginning of the campaign, told the whole column of cars, jeeps, trucks, construction machinery drove toward the border. Never heard punished for it, there it all live. But for more serious things - rape, abuse, torture - are responsible. We are in "Lad Camp" gave an example as one unit commander of fighters who have taken to rape the girls, shot in the yard of the barracks at the wall. Well, the coffin sent home with a cover letter - that supposedly died heroically.

- I know that you're going to go there again. Tell me why that pulls back - money, adventure, glory?

- Yes, little bit of everything. Here, then what to do? No job, no family no friends are there. In life, what I still know how to? Something like that ...

Interview by Sergei Gulyaev, a member of the fighting in Afghanistan and Chechnya