Russia and Belarus are extensively intensifying the militarization of children and youth, turning them into an "obedient mobilization resource." Billions of rubles are being spent on this, while civilian infrastructure decays. This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, according to UNN.
Digital control and "historical enlightenment"
The Foreign Intelligence Service notes that the Russian agency "Rosmolodezh" plans to spend 95.6 million rubles on creating a digital platform with chatbots for the "spiritual and moral development" of youth.
"The technical specifications don't even try to hide it: monitoring 'thematic trends,' collecting data on 'behavioral patterns,' and involvement in politics. Simply put – digital surveillance of their own children," the report says.
In addition, the Kremlin has introduced a concept of "historical enlightenment" for children – from kindergartens to universities. Pupils and students are required to attend events dedicated to World War II and the "defenders of Russia," which now officially include participants in the war against Ukraine.
Furthermore, student "cyber-squads" are being created in the Russian Federation to track manifestations of so-called "destructive ideology" among the youth.
Military training camps and recruitment of schoolchildren
The Foreign Intelligence Service recalled that since September 2023, military training camps have become a mandatory part of the school curriculum in Russia. Tenth-graders undergo five-day camps, and eighth-graders undergo three-day camps.
"Shooting, drones, drill training. Those who have already gone through this talk about attempts to recruit them right during the camps – into the army or military universities," the intelligence service noted.
According to Foreign Intelligence Service estimates, Russia has spent over 50 billion rubles on this system over five years.
"With this money, 50 schools, 166 swimming pools, 370 sports complexes, and over 3.8 thousand playgrounds could have been built. They chose otherwise," the agency emphasized.
Belarus repeats the Russian model
The intelligence service also stated that analysts and scientists are increasingly calling the processes in Russia a "fascist-like model of society."
According to the Foreign Intelligence Service, Belarus is following the same path. They have doubled the duration of field training camps for tenth-graders – from five to ten days.
At the same time, there are plans to keep schoolchildren at the camps around the clock, and refusal to participate will mean the impossibility of receiving certification in the subject "pre-conscription and medical training."
"The practices are borrowed from Russia, where child militarism gained momentum earlier. The goal is the same: to resolve the issue of disloyal youth and form the most submissive mobilization reserve possible," the Foreign Intelligence Service concluded.