Students in Russia have begun to be recruited for service with the nuclear command in the Arctic
The administration of St. Petersburg State University has begun sending students offers to sign contracts for service in the Arctic with units of the 12th Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which is responsible for the storage and operation of Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
Students are being offered positions as drone operators. For signing a one-year contract, they are promised a one-time payment of 3.8 million rubles from the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as an additional scholarship of 50,000 rubles from the university.
This recruitment effort is taking place against the backdrop of an increased Russian military presence in the Arctic following Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO. In recent years, Russia has been actively expanding its military infrastructure in the region and increasing the recruitment of drone operators for units of the Northern Fleet.
On June 30, Ukrainian defenders eliminated another 1,350 Russian soldiers. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also released updated data on the losses of Russian occupation forces in the war against Ukraine as of June 29, 2026.
The Kremlin has acknowledged its aggression against Ukraine as a full-scale war.
