Just turned 18: a Russian serviceman born in 2008 has been killed in the war

Forwarded From Project "I Want to Return"

Just turned 18: a Russian serviceman born in 2008 has been killed in the war

Nikita Sergeyevich Malyshev was born on April 7, 2008. At that time, Putin was already nearing the end of his second presidential term. In 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, he was only six years old. In the year the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Malyshev turned 14.

He signed a contract with the Russian Armed Forces the very next day after reaching adulthood, on April 8, 2026. Two months later, on June 12, Malyshev was killed near the settlement of Veseloye, where he was serving as a rifleman in the 5th Separate Tank Brigade (military unit 46108 of the Russian Armed Forces).

Journalists from TV Rain found out that Malyshev was the oldest child in a large family. His father left, his mother lives with his stepfather, and besides Nikita the family is raising four more children, one boy and three girls.

Malyshev was from the Republic of Buryatia. In the village of Poperechnoye, where he grew up, there are only three streets and 383 residents. Despite this, local authorities continue sending residents to the war against Ukraine.

Malyshev became the youngest Russian serviceman killed in 2026 at the age of 18. The largest database of confirmed losses maintained by “I Want to Return” contains information on at least two more Russian servicemen born in 2008 who were killed:

▪️On May 5, Artem Nikolayevich Derevtsov, born 25.02.2008, was killed

▪️On May 1, Alisher Alekseyevich Svirin, born 21.02.2008

In the comments on Malyshev's obituary, many residents of Buryatia ask how officials could send a child who had barely managed to finish school off to war without any preparation at all. However, all these questions remain unanswered. For the fifth year now, Putin has continued sending Russians to the war against Ukraine, and the phrase “born, grew up, died under Putin” is today becoming a bitter reality for many.

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