Journalists from media outlets BBC and Mediazona have identified the first known Russian soldier born in 2008 to be killed in the war in Ukraine.
Alisher Svirin was 18 years old at the time of his death on 1 May 2026. It is unknown exactly when the teenager was sent to the front. However, given his age, he could not have been serving for longer than three months.
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.
This is the first time the death of a Russian soldier born in 2008 has been confirmed by journalists. Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at least 200 18-year-old Russians have been killed on the front lines.