Swedish mercenary admits to buying Ukrainian citizenship for $700
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Gustafsson confesses that he signed the contract on February 24 for a monthly salary of about $407 to serve in the Marine Corps.
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Ukrainian nationalists (Archive)
At a trial in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), captured Swedish mercenary Mathias Gustafsson stated that he paid $700 for Ukrainian citizenship.
The confessions came during a DPR court hearing for five foreign mercenaries who fought alongside Ukrainian nationalists in Donbass on Monday.
Gustafsson also admitted that he paid a bribe to obtain a Ukrainian driver's license.
The Swede claimed that he did not read the contract with Ukrainian troops before signing it. He signed the contract on February 24 for a monthly salary of about $407 to serve in the Marine Corps as a sailor for the position of helmsman, Sputnik reported.
Gustafsson also said he had no license to operate a sea vessel or a certificate of completion of the required courses.
The Swedish mercenary said he first tried shooting with a military weapon in Estonia.
Gustafsson turned himself in at the Azovstal steel plant's industrial zone in Mariupol. He is accused of working as a mercenary for the Ukrainian army.
It is worth noting that a top Ukrainian official revealed that around 20,000 international "volunteers" have traveled to fight in Ukraine, mostly coming from European countries.
Since the start of the military operation, Zelensky invited foreigners - including Israelis - to fight alongside the Ukrainian army against Russia.
The volunteers that applied were able to get through, through Ukrainian embassies in their countries.
Read more: US mercenary in Ukraine: “I am against war”
