August 19, 2024

Russian Teenagers Head to the Front Lines


Russian Teenagers Head to the Front Lines
Readiness check of the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division. Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, Wikimedia Commons.

An increasing number of Russian teenagers are joining the fight in Russia's War on Ukraine as soon as they turn 18. They are often sent to the front after just two weeks of training.

Last spring, Russian President Vladimir Putin allowed 18-year-olds with no prior military experience or education to sign enlistment contracts. As of late June 2024, at least 40 Russians born in 2005 and 2006 have died in the war in Ukraine, according to the BBC Russian Service. In recent months, casualties among young contract soldiers have risen sharply. Between June 15 and Aug. 15, 2024, at least 13 Russians aged 18 have died, according to the news outlet Kholod (Cold). These young soldiers were just 15 or 16 years old when the war in Ukraine began. Kholod journalists spoke with relatives of fallen young soldiers to understand why they chose to go to war.

Some teenagers are driven by financial need. For example, Yaroslav Lipavsky from Tyumen, who died a month after his eighteenth birthday, wanted to earn money to support his pregnant girlfriend and to help his mother pay off her loans. Another teenager from Tyumen Oblast, Dmitry Sergeyev, signed a contract to save money for his wedding.

Others are influenced by their fathers' example or by government propaganda. Georgy Nadein from Perm was just eight years old when his stepfather first went to fight in Donbas in 2014, as part of the PMC Wagner. In February 2024, having just turned 18, Nadein signed a contract with a friend, saying he was “no worse than others.” On June 12, 2024, during another assault by the Russian army near Avdiivka, Nadein was sent on a combat mission for the first time. He died just four days later.

Another young soldier, 18-year-old Aleksei Shkoda from Novosibirsk Oblast, died during his second combat mission. Before going to the front, Shkoda was in a correctional colony. As soon as he was transferred to an adult correctional facility, he signed a military contract, even though he had only eight months left before his release. It is believed that Shkoda may have been influenced by propaganda.

“They are told in school classes and at formation that soldiers are fighting for the Motherland, and here you are, like this,” said the mother of another teenager held in a correctional colony.

You Might Also Like

A New Russian Culture?
  • July 31, 2024

A New Russian Culture?

The Russian presidential administration is trying to align culture with the war effort.
Lord of War's Fandom
  • July 25, 2024

Lord of War's Fandom

Russian teenagers continue to idolize PMC Wagner’s Yevgeny Prigozhin, even after his death.
Have Children, or Else
  • July 11, 2024

Have Children, or Else

Russian authorities are preparing bills to ban the "extremist ideology" about being child-free. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955