The youngest Russian soldier died in his first battle.
The youngest Russian soldier has died.
Yaroslav Lipavsky from Tyumen was only 18 years and one month old at the time of his death.
His son wanted to help his family and earn money because his girlfriend, Ekaterina, was pregnant. His mother, Nadezhda, had debts on loans and fines.
Although his mother said that "everyone tried to talk her son out of" going to war, he signed a contract instead of serving in the military.
The boy had no formal education other than school, and since January 2017, he had been registered with a mental health clinic.
Yaroslav was immediately enlisted as a stormtrooper during the offensive on Ocheretino in the Donetsk region, where he died exactly one week after signing the contract.
Ekaterina gave birth to a daughter, Violetta, a week ago. They were not present at the funeral. She and Yaroslav did not have time to marry.