He was 13 when Putin’s war began. He died at 18, fighting in Ukraine
- Posted on July 13, 2026
- By The Times
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- 1 min read
In brief
Nikita Malyshev enlisted as a Russian soldier at just 13 years old, driven by patriotic fervor following Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. By 18, he became the youngest confirmed casualty among Russian forces on the battlefield. His tragic story illuminates the harsh realities of modern warfare and raises critical questions about youth recruitment, military service age limits, and the devastating human cost of prolonged conflict in Eastern Europe.
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He was 13 when Putin’s war began. He died at 18, fighting in Ukraine
It was Nikita Malyshev’s dream to fight for his country, but last month he became the youngest known Russian soldier to die on the front line
