Russia Incorporates Drone Training into High School Military Education Programs

Summary

Russia has established a specialized school in the northeastern region to teach teenage boys how to operate and maintain both aerial and underwater naval drones, operating in conjunction with the country's thirteen VOIN/Fighter training centers. These VOIN centers expose teenagers to military life through uniforms, orientation, and training designed to prepare them for conscription or voluntary military service, while heavily emphasizing patriotism and the defense of Russia. Disabled veterans who served in Ukraine are employed at some high schools to instruct students on various drone types, their maintenance, and operation, supplemented by state-controlled media videos that portray selective coverage of the Ukraine conflict while omitting the significant Russian casualties. The Russian government continues to frame its invasion of Ukraine as an internal matter suppressing separatist activity rather than acknowledging it as a foreign military conflict. Despite official propaganda efforts, civilian populations, including high school students, are increasingly aware of the war's true nature through firsthand accounts shared by returning wounded veterans.