A lifestyle blogger and father, Maxim Lyutyi, 44, has had his prison sentence extended from eight to ten years after his newborn son, Cosmos, died from starvation when he tried to raise him on sunlight instead of food and milk.

Lyutyi, along with his partner Oxana Mironova, 34, neglected to properly feed the baby, who passed away from pneumonia and severe malnutrition before reaching one month old.

The Russian court heard that Lyutyi would take Cosmos away from his mother, douse him in cold water as part of a hardening regimen, and insist on “sun nourishment” instead of proper nutrition.

The court in Sochi concluded that Lyutyi’s actions led to the “intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm” on the infant.

Initially, Lyutyi attempted to deflect blame onto Mironova, who received a two-year correctional labour sentence, claiming her supposed iron deficiency was the cause of Cosmos’s death.

Eventually, however, he admitted partial guilt, saying in court, “I admit my guilt. If I had known that my son was premature and that his mother had health risks during pregnancy, I would have sought hospital care regardless of her beliefs.”

In a video statement to the court, Lyutyi emphasized that the tragedy was due to “negligence” rather than intentional harm, stating, “Your Honour, I loved my son and cared for him.”

Court reports revealed that Lyutyi intended to raise Cosmos on a “prana diet,” an extreme lifestyle in which adherents claim to “feed on sunlight” rather than consuming traditional food or water.

Lyutyi reportedly barred Mironova from breastfeeding, aiming to use Cosmos to promote prana-eating. Described as a “radical raw food fanatic,” he had hoped to showcase his son as proof that “sun nourishment” could sustain life.

Oxana’s mother, Galina, claimed Lyutyi was running a “sect” and had manipulated her daughter. “I warned her that Maxim was unstable, but she wouldn’t listen.

Oxana became a slave to his beliefs,” Galina said. Other family members described Oxana’s fear of Lyutyi, noting she secretly attempted to breastfeed Cosmos against his orders but felt trapped by him.

As part of his sentencing, Lyutyi was fined £860, with the court condemning his neglectful actions and adherence to dangerous ideologies.

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