Ukrainian Intelligence Reports Russian Military Training for Children in Occupied Crimea

Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (DIU) reported that Russian occupation authorities in Crimea are integrating military operations into the daily lives of children and young adults. The agency stated that students in Sevastopol are learning to fly drones, fire assault rifles, and disassemble weapons using equipment supplied by the Russian military.

The DIU released its assessment via Telegram, noting that the training is not limited to informal exercises. In late October, approximately 50 students aged between seven and 18 in Sevastopol qualified for the regional stage of a competition. This event was organized by the Russian Movement of the First and the Drone Racing Federation. The agency added that university students in the same city are also receiving instruction on drone operation, utilizing simulators and hardware currently deployed by Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.

This militarization of education follows a pattern established earlier in the year. In March, Ukrainian media outlets reported on similar efforts to teach schoolchildren to operate combat drones across occupied territories. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service identified these classes as part of a federal curriculum titled Fundamentals of Security and Defence of the Motherland. The agency indicated that Russian military personnel, including veterans of the war against Ukraine, lead these sessions. Similar drone classes have been implemented in the Kursk, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vologda oblasts, while Vladivostok planned to integrate drone concepts into mathematics and physics lessons.

Beyond drone operation, the DIU detailed a broader curriculum in occupied Crimean schools. Students participate in classes where they practice shooting and stripping Kalashnikov assault rifles. They also march in formation on command and engage in games designed to reinforce military discipline. The occupation authorities have organized events featuring participants from the Russian army and required students to learn songs by Russian pro-war propagandists. Memorial plaques honoring Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine have been installed on school grounds.

The agency characterized these measures as a strategy to normalize war for the younger generation. “The aggressor state of Russia is creating an environment in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories where military technology and participation in war are becoming a normal part of childhood,” the DIU stated. The report noted that occupation administrations are appointing former soldiers to senior positions and recruiting civilians into Russian security agencies, specifically the Unmanned Systems Forces.

The DIU said the objective is to secure long-term control over the peninsula while shaping the values of the next generation. “Its goal is not only to maintain control over Crimea, but also to raise a generation for whom Russia's war, military training from the school desk and hatred of Ukraine will become the norm,” the agency concluded. The report serves as a detailed account of the current educational and military activities in Sevastopol, documenting the specific age ranges and equipment used in these programs.

The intelligence assessment aligns with previous reports on the expansion of patriotic education in occupied areas. These programs have been introduced in various Russian regions and Ukrainian territories under Russian control, signaling a systematic approach to military training from an early age. The DIU’s latest update provides specific numbers and dates regarding the recent competitions and training sessions in Sevastopol, offering a concrete look at the implementation of these policies on the ground.