russia Has Purchased More than 18,000 Drones for Children and Is Training Operators at Schools

russia continues to militarize education on a massive scale: teenagers in forms 8-9 are learning to fly unmanned aerial vehicles, which, according to official goals, are intended to form “an understanding of modern combat experience”. The program, launched in 2023, is aimed at preparing children for participation in armed conflicts, where drones are used for reconnaissance, strikes, and killings.

In 2024, russia purchased 18,000 drones for 500 schools, having spent  8.38 billion rubles on this.

By 2030, moscow plans to provide drones to 4,872 schools and 380 colleges, as well as train a million of so-called specialists in unmanned systems. Specialized centers are being created in the regions on the basis of colleges, where, among others, teachers are also taught “combat aspects”, equipping classrooms, flight zones, and 3D printing sections.

In September 2024, the first official manual for studying unmanned aerial systems appeared, developed jointly with the “Geoscan” group, controlled by the foundation of putin’s daughter Ekaterina Tikhonova.

This initiative reflects the kremlin’s systemic course towards the militarization of education in the context of aggression against Ukraine. Instead of peaceful skills, russian children are learning killing techniques, which violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child and shapes a generation ready for the escalation of conflicts.