Volunteer Russians now enter the war in Ukraine in three ways:
- by signing a short-term contract with the Ministry of Defense
- having arrived in Chechnya and signed a three-month contract with the Russian Guard there
- by signing a contract with the armed formations of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR (this path is rarely chosen, since the salary of a military man in Donetsk and Luhansk is much lower than in Russia. Compensation in case of injury or death is also less)
You can also go to war by getting a job in the so-called "Wagner PMC", but these people can be called professional military rather than volunteers.
To Dmitry, the option to go through the Ministry of Defense seemed easier and more reliable than the others. Many choose this path, since the military registration and enlistment office is always located nearby, and there is no need to spend money and time on a trip to another city or even a region.
“Well, I went. Accepted without medical examination. Apparently, they need to drive the dispatch plan faster, so there is no time for checks and medical examinations. They gathered everyone in a couple of days, they were taken. They arrived at the unit at night. In the morning they dressed me: berets, a uniform, from equipment they gave me a duffel bag of a Soviet model, a waffle towel, a bar of soap and Soviet underwear. My seal was: 1960, ”continues Dmitry.