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Children members of "military-patriotic" club Steppen Wolves, holding a wooden prop of AK-47 during military training.
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The posters hanging on the Ilovaisk city council building depicts recently deceased militia commanders Mikhail Tolstykh 'Giwi' (Left) and Arseniy Pavlov 'Motorola' (Right). The signs on top says: “Ilovaisk remembers its heroes.”
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Members of Steppen Wolves before the Saturday training starts.
The first thing that catches the eyes of the pupils attending the secondary school №12 in Ilovaisk (DPR), is a smiling face of Mikhail Tolstykh on the black memorial board hanging at the entrance.
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Alena and Elia, both 12 years-old, waiting for the military training to start.
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The Steppen Wolves line up before the training starts. Children aged from 6 till 18 attend military tactics lesson and physical training three times per week. Maksym (left), 18 year-old is the commander.
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“As our Steppen Wolves enter the school, they look at Mikhail and want to be like him - to defend our land,” says Maksim. “They don`t want war here anymore. They are striving to defend. When I ask other members of the club what they plan for future, they all say that they will enter the military academy“.
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