Russian Teenagers Head to the Front Lines

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.