Latest news with #Chelyabinsk
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
School-leavers losing their lives for Russia in Putin's war with Ukraine
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly promised that no 18-year-olds called up to serve Russia will be sent to fight in Ukraine, but a BBC Russian investigation has found at least 245 soldiers of that age have been killed there in the past two government rules mean teenagers fresh out of school have been able to bypass military service and go straight into the regular army as contract may make up only a fraction of Russian losses, but cash bonuses and patriotic propaganda have made signing up an attractive Petlinsky enlisted two weeks after his 18th birthday. He was killed in Ukraine just 20 days later: one of hundreds of thousands of soldiers killed in Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine which has also claimed the lives of at least 13,500 Ukrainian civilians since Putin launched the invasion in February 2022. Petlinsky's aunt Ekaterina said he had dreamed of a career in medicine and won a place at a medical college in Chelyabinsk, an industrial regional centre in the Urals."But Sasha had another dream," she told a school memorial event. "When the special military operation began, Sasha was 15. And he dreamed of going to the front."In Ukraine, the call-up age is has managed to avoid a national mobilisation by offering lavish sums to men of fighting age - an especially attractive deal for those in poorer regions with few job men had to have at least three months of conscript service under their belts before signing a restriction was quietly dropped in April 2023, despite protests from some MPs, so now any young man who has reached the age of 18 and finished school can sign up to join the education system has ensured they are ready to enlist. Since the full-scale invasion began, teachers have been required by law to hold classes dedicated to the "special military operation", as the war is officially returning from the front visit schools to talk about their experiences, children are taught how to make camouflage nets and trench candles, and even nursery school pupils are encouraged to send letters and drawings to the the start of the last school year on 1 September 2024, a new subject was brought into the a throwback to the Soviet era, senior students are once again being taught how to use Kalashnikov rifles and hand grenades as part of a course called "The Basics of Safety and Homeland Defence".In many regions, military recruiters now attend careers lessons in schools and technical colleges, telling young people how to sign up as contract soldiers after they Ivanov grew up in a small village in Siberia and dropped out of college where he was learning to be a got into trouble with police, and when he was accused of robbing a small shop in November 2024, he complained to his mother and girlfriend he had been beaten into giving a confession. His friend Mikhail told the BBC that Vitaly had always planned to do his military service when he turned 18. Then, together, they would go and find work building roads in Kazan, a city about 3,700km (2,300 miles) to the he signed a contract to join the army. His family have not ruled out that it was the police who "persuaded" day before he left he called his mother, Anna, to say he was about to leave."I'm off to the North-Eastern Military District," he other words, he was heading for and Alexander reached the frontline at about the same time in last message home on 5 February was to say he was being sent into combat."This was his first and last combat mission," says enlistment office rang her a month later to say he had died on 11 February. As part of BBC Russian's ongoing project using open sources to count Russia's war dead, we have identified and confirmed 245 names of 18-year-old contract soldiers killed in Ukraine between April 2023 - when the rules for joining up were eased - and July were enlisted as contract servicemen and, judging from published obituaries, most joined the armed forces according to our research, since the start of the full-scale invasion at least 2,812 Russian men aged 18-20 years have been killed in BBC's figures are based on open-source information and because not every death is publicly reported, the real losses are bound to be late July the BBC had established the names of 120,343 Russian soldiers killed during the full-scale war. Military experts estimate that makes up 45-65% of the real death toll, which would equate to 185,143 to 267,500 dead. When Alexander Petlinksy turned 18 on 31 January, the first thing he did was to apply to take a year out of college so he could sign a contract with the Defence he had wanted to become a doctor, he also dreamed of going to fight in next month he was already at the front, and on 9 March he died."As a citizen of the Russian Federation, I am proud of my son," his mother, Elena, told the BBC."But as a mother - I can't cope with this loss."She declined to say friend Anastasia says the fact that 18-year-olds are signing contracts to join the army is now a very "painful subject" for her."They're young and naive, and there's so much they don't understand," she says. "They just don't grasp the full responsibility of what they're doing."
Russia Today
19-07-2025
- Science
- Russia Today
Russian students secure six medals at world's top math contest
Russian high schoolers have won five gold medals and one silver at the 66th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). The team, represented by six students from various Russian regions, ranked second after China in the unofficial standings, sharing the spot with the US. Held annually since 1959, the IMO is considered the most challenging math competition for high school students, requiring creativity and rigorous logical reasoning. Gold medals were awarded to Dmitry Grishko from Moscow, Ivan Chasovskikh from Khimki (a northwestern suburb of the capital), Ilya Zamotorin from Saint Petersburg, Vasily Patrushev from Vladivostok, and Artyom Sadykov from Chelyabinsk, each scoring between 35 and 42 points. A silver medal was awarded to Ivan Kokarev, also from Chelyabinsk. For the Russian national team, the competition was held remotely at a venue provided by Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov congratulated the winners. Chernyshenko emphasized that the students had continued Russia's rich mathematical traditions, noting the country's legacy of producing many renowned figures in the field. Kravtsov added that the students' success highlights the high quality of Russia's education system and the strength of its mathematics. The officials also thanked the educators who contributed to the students' preparation. The Russian team was led by Kirill Sukhov, head of the resource center for supplementary education at the Presidential Physics and Mathematics Lyceum 239 in Saint Petersburg. The IMO is ranked among the seven most prestigious subject-specific competitions in the world, collectively known as the International Science Olympiads. This year's contest, hosted by Australia, attracted 641 participants from 112 countries. The Chinese team dominated the competition, winning all six gold medals and placing first in the overall team ranking.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Hershey Bears Forward Pierrick Dube Signs In Russia
Former Hershey Bears forward Pierrick Dube has signed a one-year deal in Russia with Traktor Chelyabinsk, it was announced earlier this week. Dube, whose 2024-25 season was his second in the Washington Capitals organization, spent the entire year with the Bears. Over 58 regular season games, he scored 19 goals and added 21 assists for 40 points. With the Bears having made the playoffs, Dube put up three points in eight games. Over his brief professional career in the Caps system, Dube did manage to make his NHL debut in 2023-24, but he went pointless in three games. Prior to making the jump to the pro game full time, Dube played in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts, Chicoutimi Sagueneens and the Shawinigan Cataractes. With Dube off to the KHL, he could still realistically earn another opportunity to play in the NHL. Having proven to be a productive in the AHL, Dube has the skills needed to be a top-tier player in the KHL and draw the interest of NHL teams come next off-season.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Golden Knights Reportedly In Two-Team Race For KHL Star Forward
Photo credit: Chelyabinsk Traktor Hockey Club With the team pressed to the salary cap, Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon continues to find unique ways to add skilled forwards to his lineup and could be doing so again with KHL star Maxim Shabanov. Advertisement According to a report by Marco D'Amico of RG Media, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Golden Knights are in a "two-horse race" to sign KHL star forward Shabanov. The 24-year-old forward was dominant with Traktor Chelyabinsk, scoring 23 goals and 67 points in 65 games, ranking third in points among all players in the KHL. Although he's considered undersized, listed at just 5'8, 157 lbs, it hasn't affected his ability to create offence, displaying his skill set during the playoffs, recording 10 goals and 20 points in 21 games, losing in the Gagarin Cup finals. 'Maybe I'll think about it, maybe not. I've said before that all my thoughts were focused on having a successful season with Traktor. I don't read what people write about me or listen to what they say,' Shabanov commented before the final. Advertisement Across four seasons in the KHL, Shabanov registered 67 goals and 150 points in 207 games. With Russian forwards Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Dorofeyev on the Golden Knights roster, they could be a factor in swaying Shabanov to sign with the Golden Knights. Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
The Sun
03-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Is THIS the man behind world's most daring military op? Ex-DJ ‘secret agent' to go down in history for $7bn ‘web' blitz
VLADIMIR Putin's goons have fingered a Ukrainian ex-DJ as being the spy behind the incredible Operation Spiderweb. The SAS-style strike on Sunday against four airfields deep inside Russia has humiliated the Russian leader and wiped out a third of his nuclear bombers. 12 12 12 12 Desperate to save face, Russian war bloggers have named the man they think ran Ukraine's operation inside the the country as Artem Timofeev. Artem, 37, is a former Ukrainian DJ and is believed by the sleuths to have owned the lorries used to carry the containers to the strikes. Alleged drivers who transported the crates and were tracked down by the bloggers all had similar stories about taking instruction from an "Artem", the Daily Mail reports. They appeared to have thought they were transporting wooden frame houses, but instead they moved kamikaze drones into strike position. One pro-Russian blogger said: 'Artem is now wanted in connection with a terrorist attack in Irkutsk region. 'Four lorries were registered in his name, and one of them was the source of the drones that launched [in an attack on a Putin airbase].' Artem's wife Ekaterina Timofeeva, 34, is also suspected to have aided him. According to pro-Kremlin Russian media, Ekaterina describes herself as a 'witch' and is the author of B-list erotic novels. A flat in Chelyabinsk has been linked by bloggers to the pair and where Artem was reportedly seen just a week ago. But he is now likely out of the country - with Volodymyr Zelensky saying all those involved with the op had been extracted. Ukraine 'strikes Russian airfields destroying nuke bombers' in massive drone blitz Putin's doomsday bomber fleet is now crippled with 41, or a third, of his most prized aircraft lying in smouldering wrecks on tarmac. The bombers were capable of shooting non-nuclear missiles and bombs and had been terrorising Ukraine doing so. Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia - caused by only 117 cheaply made drones. Ukraine's spies spent 18 months putting the plan into action - targeting five Russian bases. 12 12 12 Russian sources said Artem had moved to the Russian city of Chelyabinsk several years ago and worked as a businessman. In December he is said to have started a haulage business and ran several lorries - the perfect cover to get the drivers to move the crates into position. Zelensky said the drivers were led far away from their vehicles and Russian authorities are yet to announce if they have made any arrests. Driver Andrei M is said to have told Russian investigators that he was told to park at a cafe next to Belaya base. Almost as soon as he stopped, the roof was remotely opened and the drones began to fly out. The nondescript shipping containers parked in laybys and verges had attracted little attention. 12 But on the morning of June 1, their lids blew open and the drone swarms poured out. Russian civilians stood in awe as they saw the drones zoom out of the containers and head in the direction of the airbase. Ukraine's kamikaze drones then filmed themselves flying through the airfields and striking down at the planes - destroying them. Hapless Russian soldiers tried to stop the incoming attack with anti-drone guns, but there were simply too many of them. Satellite pictures released following the operation show smouldering wrecks collapsed onto the runways. Thick black smoke climbed high, with civilians near the bases sending video of Ukraine's successes around the world. Zelensky touted the operation as "historic" and revealed he had overseen Operation Spiderweb. The valiant leader said: "What's most interesting, and this can now be stated publicly, is that the 'office' of our operation on Russian territory was located directly next to FSB headquarters in one of their regions." 12 12
