The Moscow Times: Russian contracted soldiers sent to Ukraine bound to buy equipment at own expense, total price up to €3000 

Professional servicemen of the Russian Army sent to Ukraine are urged to buy equipment and medicines at their own expense, The Moscow Times cites anonymous National Guard soldiers.

“One has to purchase everything with his own money, including a Kevlar vest, a helmet, a chest rig, a medical kit and some boots. Some are lucky to receive a full set for free, but they still need to buy regular clothing. When we ask our commanders to hand out some gear, they gesture helplessly,” a contracted soldier who asked to be referred to as Andrey told The Moscow Times.

These are the approximate costs, according to Andrey:

• A level 4 body armour (weaker versions do not protect from bullets and shrapnels): 70,000 rubles (€1000)
• A helmet: 10,000 rubles (€150)
• A pair of combat boots: 5,000 rubles (Andrey says having at least two pairs is a wise choice)
• A tactical vest: 5,000 to 10,000 rubles.

He also added that each soldier needs to have some regular clothing, too, including a jacket, some trousers, and shirts, the total expenditures going up to 200,000 rubles.

Meanwhile, military equipment merchandisers report demand growth. Sales clerks in various online stores say their sales have doubled in recent months. Yelena, one of the shop assistants, says a decent Kevlar vest has a price tag of about 138,000 rubles (over €2,000) in her store. Another shop assistant told the Moscow Times that a level 4 body armour may cost up to 195,000 rubles.

A man named Ilya who sells military equipment at Avito, a Russian classifieds website, has also noted growth in demand. He claims to work at a medical engineering facility within the Defence Ministry and control supply chains from various military bases. Ilya says a Ratnik set of equipment can be purchased for as low as 35,000 (€530), but a set like this does not protect its wielder from anything more serious than small shrapnels. A decent set is valued at least 80,000 (€1,200).

Servicemen who agreed to speak to The Moscow Times also report of medicines shortages. “Soldiers only receive some roller bandage, a vial of iodine and a tourniquet. They admit such a set is of no use to treat a real wound. Buying a decent medical kit drains the wallet, of course,” a National Guard soldier contracted to fight in Ukraine says.

Moreover, a soldier who was sent to Ukraine in the early days of the war says the clothing and footwear handed out to the Russian soldiers were unsuitable for cold weather; he had both of his legs frostbitten. The Moscow Times notes that an all-weather equipment set could not protect its wielders from the cold, additionally, such sets are prone to fire and are dangerous to wear in combat.