It's not hard to buy a cheap mobile phone along the way. A lot of soldiers, both Russian and Ukrainian, carry 2 or 3 each. The NK soldiers could barter for it,

It's not hard to buy a cheap mobile phone along the way. A lot of soldiers, both Russian and Ukrainian, carry 2 or 3 each. The NK soldiers could barter for it, if not outright buy it with cash. There are ways to get both cash and mobile phones that don't involve being issued those things officially.