BBC found out how many 18-year-old Russian soldiers died in the war

Despite Putinʼs repeated promises not to send any 18-year-old servicemen to war, the number of soldiers of this age who died from April 2023 to July 2025 is 245. These are only confirmed deaths; the real number may be higher.

This is stated in a BBC investigation.

Russia allows teenagers who have just graduated from school to avoid military service and immediately join the army as contract soldiers. Previously, men had to have at least three months of military service experience before signing a contract. However, the restrictions were lifted in April 2023. So now anyone who is already 18 is eligible to join the army.

The Russian education system has prepared them for service, as since the start of full-scale war, teachers in Russia have been required by law to teach lessons about the “SVO”, as the country calls the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. High school students are taught how to use Kalashnikovs and hand grenades. Military recruiters now attend career classes in schools and technical colleges, telling them how to enlist as contract soldiers after graduation. Soldiers returning from the front show children how to make camouflage nets and trench candles.

In total, a BBC investigation found that at least 2 812 Russians aged 18 to 20 have died in the war since the start of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

By July, the BBC had also identified 120,343 Russian servicemen who died during the Great War. Military experts say this is 45-65% of the actual number of deaths.

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