The Youth Army was launched in October 2015 (Image: GETTY)
Vladimir Putin has raised fears he may deploy teenagers to fight in Ukraine as the Russian army continues to experience casualties.
In his analysis of the "Z Generation", the group of youngsters growing up drenched in Putin's pro-war and Western-hating propaganda, historian Ian Garner reported the concerns by Ukrainian politician Lyudmyla Denisova that "Russia intends to use Youth Army members on the battlefield in response to its enormous troop losses".
In his upcoming book "Z Generation", Mr Garner commented: "Many of the teenagers declare themselves ready to fight.
"One teen posts a TikTok-style clip showing off his acrobatic firing routines with an army-issue rifle in a school gym. He has overlaid this with the caption: 'I'm here to save people!'"
Citing other examples, Mr Garner wrote, in an extract from his book published by the Daily Mail: "A group from Sakhalin, in the far east of Russia, uploads a clip of youngsters training in a forest.
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Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine last year (Image: GETTY)
"Young soldiers throw themselves to the ground, take up firing positions and move along a wooded track in response to their commander's barked instructions."
The Youth Army is a Russian organisation launched in 2015 by the country's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, which aimed at spreading propaganda and providing children aged between six and 18 with an understanding of their country's military history as well as firearm, martial arts and first aid training.
The group proved to be a success among young Russians, particularly those from a more disadvantaged background, and by 2019 it counted some 380,000 members.
The scheme, the historian wrote, also "recruits intensively from orphanages, claiming that it is saving vulnerable children from alcoholism and crime".
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Youth Army cadets attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory at the (Image: GETTY)
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The European Union acknowledged the movement's links with the Russian military and imposed sanctions on it following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Following Putin's illegal aggression against Kyiv, the US think tank Institute for the Study of War suggested Russia may be trying to establish the Youth Army also in occupied Ukraine.
In an assessment dating back to April, the ISW wrote: "Wagner Group are reportedly training Ukrainian children to use weapons as part of the Russian Young Army Cadets National Movement (Yunarmiya) in occupied Ukraine."
Mr Garner - an expert in Russian culture and war propaganda - noted many youngsters, not just those who have been in the Youth Army, are embracing Putin's war and have been deeply affected by his propaganda, spread across not just mainstream media but also the internet and social media platforms.
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Estimatede losses in Ukraine (Image: EXPRESS)
The expert used as an example the social media posts of 19-year-old Alina who, since the beginning of the war, appears to have pivoted her focus from common teenagers' interest to the war and supporting her country's army fighting "the treacherous scum" in Ukraine.
The letter "Z" has no historical significance in Russia, but has quickly become the military symbol unifying the Russian fighters in Ukraine and their supporters.
While Putin hasn't yet deployed minors to fight against Kyiv, in July he announced the maximum age of conscription will be raised in 2024 from 27 to 30 to replenish his forces in Ukraine.
Russia is believed to have lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers over the past 18 months, alongside equipment and ammunition.
Earlier this summer, the Financial Times cited Antony Radakin, Chief of the UK Defence Staff, saying it is believed Russia "has lost nearly half the combat effectiveness of its army" since the invasion began. He added: "Last year it fired 10 million artillery shells but at best can produce 1 million shells a year. It has lost 2,500 tanks and at best can produce 200 [new] tanks a year."
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