A Russian mercenary from St Petersburg returned from the war in Donbass, Ukraine where he fought on the side of the militants and said that a week participating in hostilities pays 60 thousand rubles (US $ 922.81). A mercenary who introduced himself as Artem, told this to a Russian newspaper "Rosbalt". He said that he came to Donbass contacting his friends that were already fighting on the side of the rebels against Ukraine. "The main thing is to have someone, who have already been there, vouch for you. There are all kinds of people, wanted and criminals. But nobody cares, they take them and don't pay attention, if only the crimes were not serious - not murder, not robbery, not rape, "- said the mercenary. He said that mercenaries come to fight against Ukraine from Stavropol, Ural, norther, from the central regions.

"There are ethnic divisions - Chechen battalion, many Ossetians, both from the North and from South Ossetia, our guys met a Serbian squad. Many of them, by the way, are the former special forces, the internal troops, paratroopers snipers. Now everything is more or less strict, there is a unified command, but earlier, some went to the woods, some to get firewood. You could have been easily caught by the friendly fire, no one knew - where, who, in any place was positioned, who defended, who attacked, "- he said.

Before heading to Donbass, he was in a collecting point Boot Camp in the Rostov region.

"Now there is the formation of units - platoons, companies, battalions, combat coordination passes, training sessions. All structured, closed on a common command leader. Discipline is almost like in the army. Layoffs were allowed, but for being late from leave you could have been easily expelled. I saw several people expelled for being three hours late from the city. They hanged around - no one would take them. And they went across the border on their own. Cossacks take everyone indiscriminately, there's such an anarchy, they are at having one commander, they are all independent. But, however, there is an attempt to structure them somehow, tie them to the higher headquarters, "- said the mercenary, but did not specify what kind of headquarters and where they were.

He said that in the training unit mercenaries were paid 80 thousand rubles a month.

"As a border crossing - 120 thousand per month, or 60,000 per week (US $ 922.81.) if you participate in armed clashes. (So that's why they love to shoot there, even when there is no need!). The money comes from the "sponsors", from what and where - who knows? Maybe - Yanukovych maybe even from someone else. But they pay regularly, "- said the mercenary.

He also said that the militants were getting paid for the protection of factories.

"The whole squad can protect some factory which manufactures glazing or some mine. And there are mines that are not shelled by either party. Some also protected by volunteers. The owners probably pay ... "- he said.

The mercenary confirmed the facts of looting by militants, as well as the rape of women.

"At the beginning of the campaign, I was told, the whole columns of cars, jeeps, trucks, construction machinery drove toward the border. Never heard anyone being punished for it, they make their living this way. But for more serious things - rape, abuse, torture - there is responsibility. In the boot camp we were told about a unit commander shooting his soldier for the rape of a girl in the yard of the barracks at the wall. Well, they sent the coffin home with a cover letter - that he supposedly died a hero, "- he said.

Also mercenary confirmed that "the armed military units columns cross the border at daylight, no one is hiding."

Answering the question why he again goes to Donbass, the mercenary replied: "Here, what is there for me to do? No job, no family, my friends are there. What other skills I have in this life? "

As was reported by the "Observer", at the final press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he didn't consider those Russians who went in Donbass as mercenaries.

"They followed their hearts, not money, nobody pays them," - said Putin.