Children in Russia are expected to be prepared for a potential war with NATO and the EU, which could start in 2030, from fifth grade. The proposal was put forward by Victor Vodolatski, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, responsible for CIS Affairs.
“Starting from the fifth grade, but also to the cadets, we must teach subjects that allow girls and boys to be prepared for any external challenges. We must prepare our young people to defend the Motherland,” declared the Russian deputy.
According to the official, the first priority is the full implementation of basic military training, which is currently taught only in high school, writes The Moscow Times. Vodolatski believes that the state should focus on raising the generation that will replenish the army and “actively build the military-industrial complex,” including missile production.
The lessons on basic military training, mandatory during the Soviet era, were reintroduced in Russian schools after the invasion of Ukraine. Tenth and eleventh grade students learn how to provide first aid, how to act in coordinated groups, how to find shelters during air raids, and also how to throw grenades.
In February 2024, the Ministry of Education in Russia supplemented the school curriculum with the compulsory subject “Military Training. Fundamentals of Military Knowledge”. The officially announced purpose was to develop in teenagers “the readiness to fulfill their duty to defend the Homeland”.
As part of this course, schools are obliged to equip shooting ranges and laboratories specifically for radiation and chemical recognition, as well as to acquire simulated firearms, shelters, chargers for Kalashnikov assault rifles with dummy ammunition, protective suits, wound simulators for mannequin training, and much more.
In addition, schools regularly host military-patriotic games called “Zarnitsa 2.0”. Children are taught to escape from captivity, to storm positions, to fight against hackers, to navigate in war conditions, to operate combat drones, and to practice propaganda techniques.