A helmet is another 10,000 rubles ($160). “A Level 4 combat vest - which can stop pistol and rifle rounds as well as shrapnel - costs on average 70,000 rubles ($1,200). The men interviewed by The Moscow Times said they were promised a monthly salary of about 200,000 rubles ($3,365) if they signed a contract to join the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine – but that they would have to buy all their gear themselves. We still have to buy the jacket and pants, at least as a change of clothing… I'll be happy if our outlay on the uniforms pays off and we don't get screwed out of our paycheck,” said one contract serviceman with Russia's National Guard (Rosgvardia). “If they issue you a field uniform, you’re in luck - you can save some money.

Some of the items apparently not provided by the army include footwear, body armor, bandages and tourniquets. Russian soldiers preparing to be sent to fight in Ukraine are required to buy personal equipment at their own expense, according to several servicemen who spoke to The Moscow Times’ Russian Service on condition of anonymity.

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