Russia is teaching its children to fight the wars of the future
Students will also study mines and explosive hazards, first aid for combat injuries, chemical and radiation exposure and acute stress, as well as survival training and procedures for operating in conflict zones.
Starting from the upcoming school year, Russian students will be immersed in a new civics curriculum that emphasizes military training. From the age of 13, young learners will be taught about various types of weapons, including machine guns, anti-tank weapons, and hand grenades. The curriculum, mandated by the Education Ministry, also covers emergency field medicine, general military discipline, and national security doctrine.
Half of the weekly classes in the "Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland" course will focus on basic military training, according to the Kremlin's efforts to shape future army recruits. The curriculum is backed by the deployment of battlefield veterans from the ongoing war in Ukraine to speak to children and promote Putin's decision to launch the 2022 full-scale invasion.
Russia aims to recruit about 400,000 new soldiers annually for the war that has already claimed over 1.5 million lives. The Soviet-era emphasis on military readiness as a deterrent against foreign aggression has been revived, with former military personnel taking on the role of educators. The educational overhaul has led to a surge in participation in the "Zarnitsa" youth military games, which have grown from 800,000 children in 2024 to an expected 2.5 million this year.
High school boys also attend week-long field training at state-run 'Avangard' military centers. The nationwide network of these centers is funded by tens of billions of rubles in state budget allocations.
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