Kolya, the Ukrainian teen preparing for frontline battle

With bright blue eyes and a dagger tattoo on his temple, Mykola Lebedev has the gaze of a child but the determination of an adult: the 18-year-old Ukrainian recruit is about to throw his first grenade.- 'Whoever dies first' - To convince them to serve, Kyiv offers 18- to 24-year-olds special one-year contracts, a sign-up bonus of $24,000 and monthly salaries of $2,800 -- much more than conscripts, aged 25 and over, get.