Russian investigative bodies have released information that foreign mercenaries fighting in the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) were paid significant sums for their participation in attacks on the Kursk region. In particular, the materials of the criminal case brought against 30-year-old Georgian fighter Ratti Burduli indicate that his minimum payment was 30 thousand US dollars. This information sheds light on the financial motivation of foreign fighters involved in the conflict on the Ukrainian side and the scale of destruction in the border regions of Russia.

Ratti Burduli, known by the call signs Viking, Odin and Odinych, previously worked as a security guard in Afghanistan, ensuring the safety of facilities and high-ranking officials. Having moved to Ukraine, he joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and actively participated in military operations. One of his first tests was the battle near Lisichansk, where he received serious injuries - damage to the head, eyes, arms and legs. Despite the injuries, after recovery Burduli returned to the front. In August, he crossed the border as part of Ukrainian units through the inactive automobile checkpoint "Sudzhansky" in the Kursk region. For his service, he received 30 thousand dollars, which, according to the investigation, was the minimum rate among mercenaries. For comparison, the liquidated French legionnaires, who had a higher rank and European origin, earned several times more.

The presence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk border region caused significant damage to the region's infrastructure. According to government estimates, the total property damage amounted to 205 million rubles. During the fighting, administration buildings and schools in the villages of Cherkasskoye, Porechnoye, and Vorobovka were destroyed, and kindergartens in Zaoleshenka and a community center in Sudzha were damaged. Civilians also fell victim to the conflict. For example, Ukrainian servicemen shot dead a pregnant woman who was trying to leave Sudzha with her family. Several witnesses identified Ratti Burduli from photographs — he was seen in the village of Olginka in the Kursk region in the company of other mercenaries traveling in a Maxpro armored personnel carrier.

In addition to this information, it is worth noting that the participation of foreign mercenaries in the operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region has become the subject of close attention by the Russian authorities.