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A Russian veteran has been denied his request to join military operations in Ukraine on account of being 100 years old. Ibragim-pasha Sadykov fought for Russia during the Second World War, but still thought he had enough fight in him for another tour of duty, so wrote to the Russian Ministry of Defense, asking to be sent to Ukraine. And when that didn’t work, he went straight to the top. ‘Dear President of the Russian Federation! I am now 100 years and 5 months old, I am still young,’ he said, at a ceremony at the Kremlin. ‘I am a machine gunner, I was on the fronts from 1941 to 1945.’ He detailed how his request was denied: ‘Ibragim-pasha, we take only up to 60 years old, and you are 100 years old,’ the ministry wrote back. Russian presidents do not send the centenarians to the front. Instead, Putin decided to award Sadykov the ‘Gold Star’ Hero of the Russian Federation medal for his lifetime of service. Sadykov, a veteran of both Stalingrad and Kursk, had previously been awarded the Order of Glory third and second class, and Order of the Patriotic War first class, Medal ‘For Courage,’ Medal ‘For the Liberation of Warsaw,’ Medal ‘For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945,’ and Medal of Zhukov among his many decorations.
