Russia Doubles Military Training for Children Through 2036, Including in Occupied Parts of Ukraine

Russia is doubling the share of military training in school curricula, with the program extending to schools in occupied Ukrainian territories. Starting Sept. 1, 2026 basic military training within the subject “Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland” will rise from the current 20% to 50% of teaching time for students in grades 6 through 11.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. According to the Eastern Human Rights Group on Facebook, Wednesday, Aug. 5, the curriculum includes instruction on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and mandatory training camps. “The focus on children and youth has a fairly pragmatic goal – forming a future mobilization reserve, both in terms of skills and worldview,” the group said, adding that “in a controlled information environment, a child can be indoctrinated for years with a cult of war, military service, ‘heroic death,’ and unconditional service to the state.” Regional programs expand In the occupied Donetsk region, Russian occupation authorities have approved a ten-year plan running through 2036, as part of a broader effort to normalize “military-patriotic education” and prepare children for future military service. In schools, basic drone operation is taught to pre-conscription and conscription-age youth, alongside engineering instruction and additional military training. In the occupied Kherson region, vocational students are being taught to operate, service and repair drones as part of their professional education, while in the occupied Luhansk region, children and teenagers are being drawn into Russian youth, cadet, party and so-called “volunteer” structures. Other Topics of Interest Are Russia Sanctions in US Senate Going Sideways? Ninety-nine Senators agree on the need to fast-track the Graham sanctions bill this week. Sen. Warnock (D-GA) has a hold on the bill, putting it at risk. How long will the other 99 hold together? Contacts between minors and Russian military personnel continues to expand. According to Ukrainska Pravda, the network of organizations implementing Russia’s “patriotic education” model is growing in the region. Military service education not limited to boys The Eastern Human Rights Group noted that these programs are not confined to the traditional draft-age male population preparing for conscription. Instead, both boys and girls are being enrolled – significantly widening Russia’s possible mobilization base. Ukrainska Pravda additionally reported that over the course of one week in June, 15 children and teenagers were brought from occupied territory to Ukrainian-controlled areas after refusing to attend Russian schools and seeking to avoid future conscription. Part of a wider Russian push This expansion in occupied Ukrainian territories comes as Moscow pushes proposals for military education to even younger children. On June 22, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Viktor Vodolatsky, called for mandatory military training to begin in fifth grade, arguing that Russia must prepare its youth for a possible war with NATO and the EU by 2030. “Let them prepare, but the outcome is inevitable,” he said, citing 2030 as a “relevant milestone” for Russia to attack NATO. Western authorities have separately warned that Russia could test NATO’s collective defense within the coming years. That threat has intensified in recent weeks, with repeated Russian drone incursions over EU territory, including three Russian drones shot down by Romanian F-16 fighter jets over the course of the weekend on July 24-26, and a drone found carrying an explosive device at Leipzig-Halle Airport in Germany. These incidents have pushed the hybrid warfare threat to a new level, blurring the line between provocation and direct military involvement. “These markers say far more about the strategic intentions of the Russian regime than any statements by its officials and representatives about ‘peace’ and the absence of threats to other states,” the rights group said. “Russia’s future intentions should be assessed by whom, on what scale, and for what purpose Russia is systematically training today,” they added. OSCE report cites systematic militarization and indoctrination of Ukrainian children Independent experts appointed under the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Moscow Mechanism presented a report to the OSCE Council on Thursday, July 9, concluding that Russia has systematically militarized and indoctrinated Ukrainian children, violating international humanitarian law. Through indoctrination, forcible transfer and unlawful deportation of children, intimidation, illegal adoptions and other forms of violence and ill-treatment, Russia continues to conduct a “coordinated and systematic policy” aimed at erasing the identity of Ukrainian children. Experts urged OSCE participating institutions and partner countries to support child protection initiatives, the return and reintegration of Ukrainian children, and broader international cooperation aimed at ending impunity for crimes committed against children. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.