An interview with a tank gunner from Buryatia, who have been hit under Debal'tsevo
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/society/67490.html
What is particulary catched my interest:
Q: Are you fought along with militia? Did you have shared objectives?
A: No, they just took one position and them refuse to advance becuse it's dangerous. But we have orders, and they have not, so we roll over.
As I suspected, any military toy that is more complex than RPG-7 is operated by Russian regulars, mostly volunteers, meanwhile foot soldiers are generally motley band of former civilians, like locals, cossacks, Russian volunteers, retired wardogs and so on.