The occupiers have devised a plan to forcibly mobilize students in the Donetsk region
The Russian occupation administration has introduced mandatory quotas to recruit students from higher education institutions into the ranks of the aggressor’s army.
According to the new requirements, at least 2% of the total number of students at each institution must sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Activists from the “Yellow Ribbon” civil resistance movement have documented the start of an active recruitment campaign at Donetsk National Technical University.
Not only administration officials but also faculty members are involved in the process, directly pressuring young people.
To encourage students, the occupiers are using promises of various privileges and social benefits.
In particular, candidates are offered immediate transfer from contract-based to state-funded education or a simplified procedure for obtaining a diploma after completing their service.
The leadership of educational institutions has come under intense pressure from Kremlin-appointed supervisors.
Principals and rectors are directly threatened with dismissal from their posts if they fail to meet the established quotas for the number of recruits.
Representatives of the “Yellow Ribbon” movement emphasize the cynicism of such methods of recruiting personnel. They note: “Under the guise of a ‘voluntary contract,’ the occupiers are effectively forcing young people from the temporarily occupied territories to go to war.”
As a reminder, Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against entities supporting the Russian military-industrial complex.
Russia also wants to build the “Azov Ring” in the occupied territories.
