NewsRussia's teenage soldiers: Rising toll on Ukraine's front line

Russia's teenage soldiers: Rising toll on Ukraine's front line

The youngest Russian contract soldier, Jarosław Lipawski, has died.
The youngest Russian contract soldier, Jarosław Lipawski, has died.
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Paulina Antoniak

20 July 2024 20:53

The Russian Ministry of Defence is now even recruiting teenagers to participate in the war in Ukraine. Recently, the youngest Russian contract soldier died. Yaroslav Lipavsky, a resident of the Tyumen region, was killed on the front line. He died less than a month after reaching adulthood.

The Russian Ministry of Defence is opening more and more military training centres for young people. One of them is located in the Luhansk region. After training, teenagers are sent to the front to fight against Ukrainians.

According to the portal focus.ua, the Russians want to engage at least four thousand citizens aged 14 to 17 in the first stage.

In recent days, the youngest Russian contract soldier, Yaroslav Lipavsky, died. He died less than a month after reaching adulthood.

Putin sends teenagers to war

Until now, the youngest fallen Russian soldier was Daniil Ermolenko, also 18 years old. According to the portal belsat.eu, on 6th April 2024, he went on a “combat mission” in the village of Berdychiv near Avdiivka. Since then, he has not been heard from.

Daniil Ermolenko, also known as Kazakh, was born on 8th January 2006, and according to the portal, he was a citizen of Kazakhstan.

It was recently revealed that the Kremlin is reportedly concerned about the long-term social and political consequences of the return of Russian veterans from the war in Ukraine - according to the latest report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The institute refers to information from the independent Russian portal Meduza.

Russian war veterans struggle to adapt to civilian life after returning from Ukraine. Many convicted recruits are committing violent crimes after returning home - said Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Sergey Kiriyenko during a meeting with Russian officials.

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