Putin's next-gen military? Eight-year-old kids train with rifle & grenade; 'to serve my country and be loyal'

In a move highlighting Russia ’s growing focus on militarising its youth, children as young as eight have been trained in combat-style exercises at a summer camp in the Rostov region, close to the Ukrainian border, according to a report by the New York Post.

The camp, which hosted 83 children aged between 8 and 17, is reportedly part of an initiative aimed at preparing youngsters for future military service. Participants were taught how to throw hand grenades, handle rifles and march in simulated combat scenarios.

“We threw hand grenades and fired dummy shots,” said 8-year-old Ivan Glushchenko, describing his favourite part of the programme, as quoted by the news portal.

Supervised by Russian soldiers with frontline experience in Ukraine, the camp included a “route march” along the River Don, which saw children crawl on sand and wade through shallow waters while carrying weapons - some real, some replicas.

The programme is seen as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s broader push to instill military values among the nation’s youth.

“Why I am here? It’s because I want to tie my future with military service. To serve my country and be loyal to my cause until the very end,” said one of the older participants, Anton.

This is not the first time such youth-focused military training camps have emerged in Russia. However, the involvement of young children and the proximity to the Ukraine conflict zone has drawn international attention.