Ukraine exposes Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy as more soldiers confess (video)

Russian soldiers are offered triple salary to fight incognito in Ukraine — Ukraine's SBU

Ukraine's state security service the SBU has revealed how Russia offers its soldiers triple their normal allowance for going to fight in Ukraine, while taking away military IDs and other documents that may identify them as Russian soldiers.

Vasyl Hrytsak Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said (July 29) that the arrest of an officer of Russia's Armed Forces in Donbas on July 25 was an example of how Russia had created a mechanism for coordinating its military in Ukraine.

According to Hrytsak, at about 22:00 Kyiv time on July 25, the border guards detained a Kamaz truck at the Berezove checkpoint. Vladimir Starkov a citizen of the Russian Federation, born in 1978, a native of Khabarovsk region, was riding in the cabin.

"The testimony provided by Starkov, as well as his Russian-made notepad and other documents seized during his arrest once again confirm the existence of a well-established mechanism for coordination and direct involvement of military personnel from Russia's Armed Forces in Russian aggression against our country," said Hrytsak.

Hrytsak explained the mechanism as follows: the servicemen of Russian Armed Forces are offered further military service in the illegal armed groups of the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" [Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, respectively] and are promised triple allowance.

Vladimir Starkov, captured Russian soldier: "One is not send on an official mission. There are no per diems paid for this. One is officially given a position at the 12th command unit in the city of Novocherkassk at some military unit. And when one arrives there, he is presented with the fact that he will not serve in Novocherkassk, he will serve in either LNR or DNR (Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics).

Asked off camera: "So you are just presented with the fact, no discussion?"

"Nothing is disclosed beforehand, everything related to Ukraine is made top secret."

Ukraine is still holding two Russian soldiers who were captured in May and have been charged with terrorism. Russia says the two men had quit their special forces unit to go to Ukraine on their own.

Ukraine's border guards said in a statement they found nearly 200 cases containing grenades and ammunition including rocket-propelled shells when they stopped the truck at the Berezove checkpoint about 45 km (28 miles) southwest of Donetsk.