Russia Educates Children in Combat Drone Operations as the Ukraine War Continues

According to a report made on Monday by the UK defense ministry, a new curriculum would include the fundamentals of combat drone operation for all Russian students.

Russian senator Artem Sheikin, according to the UK defense ministry, made the announcement and announced that classes on UAV surveillance and drone defense would be offered.

The ministry said that in addition to drone instruction, the program also covers assault rifle proficiency, hand grenade proficiency, and combat first aid.

“The UAV lessons join assault rifle training, hand grenade skills, and combat first aid in the revised ‘Basics of Life Safety’ syllabus for year 10 and 11 students, due to be mandated from 1 September 2023,” the UK Defense Ministry announced on Monday.

The curriculum would be evaluated in January 2023, according to a November 2022 article from the state-run TASS news agency in Russia, and under the new regulations, high school pupils would probably have to complete 35 hours of training.

According to a research, the inclusion of militarism in the Russian curriculum aims to prepare young children for volunteerism and conscription.

However, because to a lack of preparation and readiness, conscripts who were recruited during the partial mobilization in 2022 suffered.

The Ukraine War is included in the history curriculum for 10th and 11th grades, while “Important Conversations” lessons are mandated for younger pupils each week.

Fundamentals of Life Safety (FLS), an existing required course, contains the training modules, but the UK defense ministry voiced worry that other lesson plans are already packed with material.

The UK defense ministry has issued a warning that Russia’s heightened focus on indoctrinating youth into the military would foster a culture of militarized patriotism rather than real competence.

Defense Ministry: “Russia’s renewed emphasis on indoctrinating children into the military is largely an effort to cultivate a culture of militarised patriotism rather than develop real capability.”

Additionally, it was emphasized that the development of UAV capabilities demonstrates Russia’s recognition of the “use of tactical UAVs in Ukraine as an enduring component of contemporary war.”

Throughout the continuing Russo-Ukrainian conflict in 2022, Kyiv’s infrastructure has been struck on several occasions using Lancet hovering munition. Additionally, it has been successful in slowing Ukraine down and affecting its sluggish counteroffensive.

Moscow has also used drones from the Iranian-made Shahed series to attack targets deep into Ukrainian borders.

Drones have been extensively deployed by Ukraine as well, and they have been used to attack targets like the Kerch Bridge in Crimea.