Second documented case of Russian soldier born in 2008 killed in Ukraine unveiled by journalists
A second Russian soldier born in 2008 who was killed in the war in Ukraine has been identified by journalists, independent project Lyudi Baikala reported on Wednesday.
Nikita Malyshev, born on 7 April 2008, was killed on 12 June 2026 in the Russian-occupied region of Zaporozhzhia. The Buryatia native served as a gunner of an anti-aircraft missile platoon.
According to Lyudi Baikala, Malyshev signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence the day after he turned 18. The obituary dedicated to the teenager stated that “his peaceful student life was interrupted by his duty to the Motherland”. He is survived by his mother, brother, and four sisters.
Malyshev was two months younger than Alisher Svirin, the first identified Russian soldier born in 2008 to have been killed in Ukraine. Svirin was 18 years old at the time of his death on 1 May 2026, as reported by BBC and Mediazona. Svirin was serving as a contract machine gunner in the 123rd Separate Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade. He was buried in the Moscow region on 28 May.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at least 200 18-year-old Russians have been killed on the front lines.
