"Hero of what? Killing neighbors?" In Tatarstan, in the spring, at least four 18-19-year-old young men who died in the war in Ukraine were buried.

      In spring, it became known of at least four residents of Tatarstan aged 18-19 who died in the war in Ukraine. Recent high school graduates and participants of "Yunarmiya" find themselves on the front line just a few months after being drafted or even signing contracts themselves. Against the backdrop of active recruitment in Kazan universities, where students are promised "safe" service in UAV units and short-term contracts, human rights activists are sounding the alarm: there are no legal grounds for returning home after a year, and promises of service away from the front line often turn out to be just a way to lure young people into the ranks of the Armed Forces. Renat Bakirov from Chistopol

      Renat Bakirov

      19-year-old Renat Bakirov, a native of Chistopol in Tatarstan, died in the war in Ukraine on February 13, 2026. "Idel.Realii" found his page on "VKontakte," which he started in 2022. In May 2023, he published photos from his graduation after the 9th grade. In November of the same year, the young man posted a photo and video from the school military-patriotic movement "Yunarmiya." In the video, he — like everyone else — is in uniform. Young people march, and then take turns reading lines from the dedication to the yunarmeytsy: <…> We want to always be ahead, Embrace the country with all our hearts. Grow up faster! Grow quickly In the ranks of yunarmeytsy. <…> And we will not let the country down And stand beside you, So that the heroes of all times Can be proud of us. <…>

      Renat Bakirov

      In 2025, Bakirov published a photo in khaki uniform, with many flags in the background. A few days later — a photo of the young man in a balaclava, an army cap with a badge featuring the flag of Tatarstan and the inscription "Alga" (from Tatar — "Forward"; this is also the name of the eponymous national battalion participating in the war against Ukraine).

      Renat Bakirov

      It is known that Bakirov went into military service in 2025 and later signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. A few months later, he died. Under the obituary for Bakirov on the "Typical Chistopol" account on Instagram, there are thousands of comments. — Just a child... Deep bow... Bright memory to the hero, — wrote user "Regina Nezhmedinova." Her comment is the most "liked" — over 2,500 likes. — What is the feat? — asked another user. — Maybe it's time to wake up? — asked a second. — Hero of what? Killing neighbors? — tried to clarify a third. — At this age, they still rely completely on their parents. The parents are too childish. They decide to give their sons' lives. All questions are only to them, because everything is already clear with the state. They don't care who goes; for them, it's just a name on a list. And the parents themselves decide how much their children mean to them, — shared one user’s opinion. Another user recounted how she raised this issue in a conversation with colleagues: "With colleagues, we accidentally touched on this topic. None of them have a VPN, they don't read Telegram. One has a son in the army, two are going this year. They all argued that conscripts cannot end up in the SVO (Special Military Operation) or that they are not forced, saying — why. And the argument: this would be reported on television. People aged 25-40." Renat Bakirov was buried in his homeland on March 7 of this year. Analysis by the "Russian Service of BBC" In spring 2023, the Russian State Duma adopted amendments allowing contracts with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to be signed immediately after graduating from school and reaching the age of 18. In schools, colleges, and universities, teenagers are increasingly being urged to join the army. The "Russian Service of BBC" in its latest report wrote that based on their list of the deceased, journalists can conclude that "at least there was no spike in the deaths of young people in the war within a year after the law was passed." "The number of deaths among those aged 18 to 25 — currently at least 19,583 people — began to steadily rise from March 2024, while no such trend was observed among other age categories. It was at that moment that an amendment was adopted allowing people who had just been detained on suspicion of committing a crime to avoid trial and criminal liability if they signed a contract for military service," the journalists of the "Russian Service of BBC" noted, indicating that currently, the share of deaths among young people aged 18 to 25 accounts for only 11% of the total number of losses. In their analysis, they indicated that at least 502 people were drafted into the army and then died in the war against Ukraine. This includes both those who were simply conscripted soldiers and those who signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation at some stage. "In many cases, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation assured the relatives of the deceased that they voluntarily signed a contract — coincidentally, just a few weeks or even days before their deaths. Some parents refuse to believe this," wrote the "Russian Service of BBC." Ilya Merkurov from Chistopol

      Ilya Merkurov

      The obituary for 18-year-old Ilya Merkurov from Chistopol appeared in the "Killed from Tatarstan" group on March 27 of this year. The date of death is unknown. Due to the age of the deceased, the post about his death prompted numerous comments: "It's tough, of course, 18 years," "No words, boy, where-why?", "Nightmare, getting younger and younger." "There will be many yesterday's school kids and students going into the "drone troops," wrote one user. Recruitment of students In December of last year, recruitment of students for the war began in Russia. In the first phase, they were recruited in the best technical universities of the country and military departments, the publication T-invariant reported. In the second phase — starting January 2026 — active recruitment began for students on the verge of expulsion. From February, recruitment began for all students. The publication "Vyorstka" counted at least 200 recruitment meetings that took place in universities and colleges across Russia, including in the Volga regions. The main recruitment tool became the "special contract" in UAV troops, promising "high-tech" service away from the front line for a period of one year. Lawyer Artem Klyga from the "Movement of Conscious Refusers" previously told "Idel.Realii" that legally, the "one-year contract," which is often promised to students, simply does not exist now. According to him, points 4-5 of the Russian president's decree on mobilization make any agreement indefinite until the end of the mobilization period. In Klyga's opinion, promises of one-year contracts and service away from the front line are "complete nonsense," as there is no legislative basis for such conditions. The human rights activist stated that the entire "selection" procedure for UAV units is just a way to lure people. Yesterday, April 8, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that military contracts for students are effectively indefinite. Acting head of the UAV troops, Pitirimov, in response to Klyga's inquiry, stated that commanders of UAV units have the right to dismiss fighters recruited under contracts for students but are not obliged to do so. The military department confirmed that students sign contracts for a year, but commanders can refuse them dismissal after this period. Recruitment of students for the war continues to this day. This week, at least two visits to two universities in Tatarstan became known — Kazan Federal University (KFU) and Kazan State Medical University (KSMU). The main focus of the recruitment is on service in UAV units and the possibility of replacing conscription with a short contract. On April 7, a meeting was held at KSMU with Captain Yegor Goryachev — an officer from the military service selection point and a finalist of the republican program "Batyrlar. Heroes of Tatarstan." According to a report from the "Tatmedia" holding, Goryachev presented to students the service in UAV troops. The day before, on April 6, a similar meeting took place at KFU. According to the publication "Groza," attendance for students in their final year of bachelor's and master's programs was mandatory. Students were addressed by the head of the mobilization training department at KFU, Albert Gimaletdinov, Yegor Goryachev, and a representative of the "African Corps." The latter, according to participants in the meeting, positioned his unit as "elite," contrasting it with regular units involved in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Students were urged to join the ranks of UAV troops to participate in combat operations. — Oh, what a nightmare. When I see young boys, my heart bleeds. Experienced guys don't survive, let alone such boys, — wrote a user under the obituary for Ilya Merkurov with the nickname "Chulpan." — For every signed contract, these scum receive monetary payments... My sincerest condolences to the relatives and loved ones, — wrote "Natalia Ruzibaeva." There is no