Brainwashing using drones. Russian school prepares children for war
— I've tried robotics before, but for some reason I like drones better. Then I feel like I'm really flying – says 14-year-old Dima Newstruyev, a student at a youth center in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia.
— The most interesting thing is probably building your own drone and then programming it. And that moment when you control the drone for the first time is really cool, he told a regional TV station.
Newstruyev has been learning about drones for three years. These skills are now becoming part of the national curriculum in Russia, where, according to experts, after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 the authorities are increasingly targeting education militarily.
“It will benefit the whole country.”
In January, the Russian government officially included the assembly and operation of drones in the subject “basis of security and defense of the homeland” (Russian: OBŻR).
The Kremlin aims to create a national team of specialists because Unmanned aerial vehicles are playing an increasingly important role on the battlefield in Ukraine. In 2024, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Valery Falkov, announced that by 2030 Russia wants to train one million specialists in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
The first attempts to introduce drone science to schools date back to 2023, when President Vladimir Putin supported their presence in the national curriculum. — The so-called early career orientation will ultimately benefit the entire country, Putin said.
Students listen to Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech on the first day of the new school year. Moscow, September 1, 2025Alexander Nemenov / AFP
Guidelines for conducting classes with drones will begin to be sent to schools in the summer of 2024, according to documents analyzed by “The Moscow Times” and sent by the Institute of Strategic Education to the Ministry of Education.
According to the federal OBŻR program, students completing the module on drones are expected to understand how different types of drones are used in combat operations, follow their development and explain how unmanned aerial vehicles conduct reconnaissance. The program also includes exercises based on various scenarios.
According to information from the British Ministry of Defense, by August 2025 lessons about drones are already conducted in over 500 Russian schools. Teachers began posting sample lesson materials on social media. In one of the presentations, tenth-grade students are asked to name the four main types of drones, describe the advantages of multi-rotor systems and answer the question: “What unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with the Russian army?”
Seventh grade students may be asked what the sound of an incoming drone is similar to and what actions should be taken when hearing the warning signal during a drone attack.
Experts interviewed by “The Moscow Times” note that students are attracted to drone classes by their interactive and modern nature. But they warn that the line between technical education and military training may be blurring.
“Basic drone operation skills can be the foundation for a promising and well-paid career”
In the Kursk Oblast, which borders Ukraine and is regularly attacked from its neighbor's territory, local authorities openly link drone training with the region's defense needs.
“Our region, for obvious reasons, has become a center for professional service, assembly and even design of new drone models,” wrote Governor Aleksandr Khinshtejn on Telegram in January.
– Those who have practical experience today will pass it on to our students – he added, announcing that members of the BARS-Kursk volunteer brigade and soldiers from the Siewier military group could soon also take part in the classes.
Last year 80 teachers from the Kursk region obtained certificates of drone operation specialists after completing training organized by the Russian Labor Center and regional educational authorities. The participants included teachers of IT, technology, physical education and OBŻR.
A similar pilot course was conducted in Kursk in 2024 for unemployed people. “There will be no shortage of volunteers, because basic skills in operating drones can be the foundation of a promising and well-paid career,” wrote the Kursk Employment Center on social media. His profile on the WKontaktie social networking site includes a post promoting contract military service.
Currently, schools receive equipment for drone classes from the state and place orders through the government purchasing system. The tenders include FPV drones, educational posters, 3D printers, virtual reality (VR) headsets, computers and flight simulators. A standard training kit for operating an unmanned aircraft costs approximately PLN 250,000. rubles (approx. PLN 12,000).
One of the tenders analyzed by “The Moscow Times” shows that School No. 161 in St. Petersburg ordered an FPV drone simulator for a computer with 13 scenarios and 80 training tasks – from delivering cargo to flying freely.
A school psychologist working in a Russian school told The Moscow Times that drone education is at risk blurring the line between technical science and war in the eyes of childrenmaking them more susceptible to military messages.
— Children separate the killing that can be done using a drone from the construction of the drone itself, which they treat as a toy and proof of their skills – says an expert who wishes to remain anonymous for security reasons. — Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more tempting to attract children to this type of activity.
For primary and secondary school students, building drones is also a chance to “please the teacher, improve school results and feel a bond with the country,” adds the psychologist.
Not all teachers share these concerns. — I'm definitely in favor of these lessons, because this industry is growing and students are interested — says Vitaly, an OBŻR teacher in St. Petersburg who plans to conduct courses on unmanned aerial vehicles in the new school year, in an interview with The Moscow Times.
— I don't see any conflict [w kursie dronowym]; it fits into the curriculum. It will soon be in all schools. As you can see, the Russian army has even introduced special drone units, he says. – This is actually the future.
