Russian high school students will be able to train to fly combat drones

2023-08-21 16:49:41

Updated Monday, August 21, 2023 – 16:49

The classes correspond to the age group of 15 to 17 years, within the framework of “initial military training”

Visitors look at weapons during the International Military-Technical Forum in Moscow. EFEDirecto latest news on the war in Ukraine

Russian high school students they will be able to train to fly combat drones from the school year that begins in September, according to a program published this Monday by the Ministry of Education, when it is a year and a half since the offensive in Ukraine.

According to the program, Russian teenagers will be able to get acquainted with “military use of drones” and how to “carry out reconnaissance missions using a drone.”

They will also have the opportunity to “carry out practical drone piloting actions” as well as learn to reject “enemy drones”.

The classes to which these courses refer correspond to the age group of 15 to 17 years, within the framework of “initial military training”.

This formation, which existed in Soviet times before falling into disuse, has been relaunched for the start of the 2023-2024 school year. The course includes familiarization with weapons of war such as the Kalashnikov assault rifleand lasts at least 140 hours.

“The introduction of a subject of this type in schools will allow to systematically prepare the citizens for a possible confrontation with the enemy”, explained in November 2022 Sergei Mironov, parliamentarian who promoted the initiative.

Drones are being used on a large scale by both sides in the Ukraine conflict, and Russian territory is almost daily target of attacks of this type.

Since the start of the conflict, a number of innovations aimed at instilling patriotism and anti-Western discourse have been introduced into Russian schools.

The school week begins with the national anthem and a flag-raising ceremony, and have been introduced “discussions about what is important”, in particular to evoke the hostilities in Ukraine and justify Russia’s offensive against its neighbor.