Russia has doubled the amount of required military training for children between the ages of 11 and 17, with courses now including lessons on drones, field exercises, and firearms, according to Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov.
Expanded Curriculum
The course, known as 'Fundamentals of Homeland Security and Defence', will now include at least 17 hours of basic military training, adding to the existing 34 hours of material, for a total of 51 hours. Schools require young students to study Russian military history, civil service, wartime survival, combat skills, firearm handling, and even how to use grenades.
Implementation Timeline
The new format of the classes could begin as soon as September in occupied Crimea, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
Nuclear Attack Training
In 2024, it was revealed that children in Russia were being trained on how to protect themselves in a nuclear attack. Students learn about 'the combat properties and damaging effects of mass destruction weapons, as well as methods of protection against them'.
Geopolitical Context
The new training comes amid heightened tensions between NATO and Russia. Russia recently began construction on a new military base close to Finland's eastern border for the first time since the USSR collapsed. Aerial photos show a dozen new barracks under construction after work began in late 2025 to clear nearby forest. The base could accommodate between 4,000 and 6,000 personnel, according to military expert and former Finnish intelligence officer Marko Eklund.
The new base and the installation of troops there could pose a security issue for Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia. 'Slowly, Russia is re-establishing the Leningrad military district for defensive capabilities – likely in hopes of using it for an offensive if it has the ability to do so in the future,' Eklund noted.
Russia has been beefing up its military presence after Sweden and Finland joined NATO years ago in response to Russian threats made following its invasion of Ukraine.
