Some parents would gasp at the thought of their children playing with a toy gun, but these Russian children are actually encouraged to take up real arms. Military sports club, ‘Berkut’, (meaning golden eagle), trains up tiny Vlads and Boris’, who dream of joining the elite units of the Russian army and fighting under the command of President Vladimir Putin. Pictured on their website brandishing a hand gun, is a young boy, dressed in military fatigues with his finger over the trigger. Children as young a five are sent on forced marches, given battlefield training, taught hand to hand combat, and how to use military equipment. 12 year olds are also taught to fire Kalashnikov assault rifles and other small arms. During the clubs regular camps some children are given the opportunity to parachute jump during their paratrooper training. The club based in Zhukovsky, Russia, claims to provide military training designed to develop the younger generation of the “motherland” - a term synonymous with the former Soviet Union and the communist rule of the last century.
EAGERLY BITING his nails, this little squirrel is clearly nervous of looming predators as he searches for his meal .
An NHS 111 call handler who was forced to save her own life after contracting sepsis has walked down the aisle at her dream wedding .
SITTING on a burning sofa unable to move, one man turns his terrifying dreams into reality .
An American man continues on his mission to document his journey around the globe by completing a world map tattoo on his back .
A survivor of abuse has bravely waived her anonymity to tell how she was sexually assaulted from the age of nine - by her depraved grandad .
A restaurant famed for creating the 3lb cheeseburger has unveiled its latest culinary challenge – the largest chilli cheese hotdog in Europe .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
A family who were refused the location of their missing cat under the Data Protection Act have been reunited with their moggie after the keepers handed him back .
A mother-of-four has revealed how her daughter was stabbed to death by her ex partner, while their horrified children watched on .
With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .
A BABY-faced burglar is starting a seven year stretch in custody after being nabbed by a Jaffa Cake .
Katie Thompson, 22, met Joe Firby, now 23, in April 2020 on Tinder .