Russia will increase military training for schoolchildren in the occupied territories by 2.5 times
Starting September 1, 2026, Russia will increase the scope of basic military training for schoolchildren by 2.5 times and extend the updated curriculum to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
According to the Eastern Human Rights Group, military training for students in grades 6–11 will now account for half of the class time allocated to the subject “Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland.” The curriculum includes instruction on drones, military training camps, and other elements of pre-conscription training.
In addition, a ten-year plan for military-patriotic education has been approved in the occupied Donetsk region, while in the Kherson and Luhansk regions, children will be taught how to operate UAVs and receive engineering training, and will be recruited into pro-Russian youth organizations.
Human rights activists believe that in this way, the Kremlin is building a future mobilization reserve by imposing a cult of war and military service on children.
Source: Eastern Human Rights Group.
Putin replaced Russian commanders in Ukraine after plans to seize the Donbas fell through.
As a reminder, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law imposing strict restrictions on citizens abroad who have been convicted in absentia under political articles of the Russian Criminal or Administrative Codes, specifically for “discrediting” the army, calling for sanctions, or participating in “undesirable organizations.”
