PUTIN'S TINY ARMY
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.
Other great stories
WOMAN SAYS EATING BUBBLES WHILE PREGNANT WAS BETTER THAN SEX
A woman has told how her addiction to eating bath bubbles during her pregnancy was better than SEX .
FAST FOOD FISHING
THIS is the awesome moment an Osprey catches its prey travelling at 50mph, giving new meaning to FAST FOOD .
CATERPILLAR AND MANTIS BATTLE IT OUT
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
DAREDEVIL DIVERS HAVE A WHALE OF A TIME
SWIMMING next to 40 tonne whales, dare-devil divers take the plunge with these gentle giants of the sea .
IT'S RAINING DOGS
WITH THE WIND blowing through their fur, you'll believe a dog can fly in these hilarious images .
LONDON LANDSCAPES PHOTOGRAPHED FROM ROOFTOPS
A British photographer has captured the beauty of London in a stunning series of landscapes shots .
BOY, 15, CAN ONLY EAT FRY UPS DUE TO ONE-IN-14M CONDITION
A schoolboy is the envy of his friends due to a one in 14-million condition which means he can only eat FRY-UPS to survive .
RARE BRONTE POEM FETCHES £92K AT AUCTION
A rare manuscript of one of Charlotte Bronte’s earliest poems went under the hammer today and fetched nearly £100,000 – double what it was expected to get .
SISTERS BOTH HAVE 1 IN 3.5M DISEASE THAT IS TURNING THEM TO CRYSTAL
Meet the sisters who have both been diagnosed with a one in 3 .
WORLD'S MOST IDYLLIC BOMB SITE BEAUTY
WELCOME to the Hidden Beach - the world's most idyllic BOMB SITE .
A-PAW-ABLE SHELTER DOGS POSE IN THE HOPE OF FINDING FOREVER HOMES
WE’RE all familiar with the heart-wrenching pictures of dogs abandoned in animal shelters, but one photographer has found an innovative way of showcasing the pooch’s personality .