Russians are expanding youth military-patriotic education programs in Russia and abroad, aiming for a prolonged conflict with Ukraine.
The Kremlin continues to expand its network of military-patriotic education programs for youth in the Russian Federation and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, aiming for a prolonged conflict against Ukraine and potential future armed confrontations with Western countries.
This is stated in the report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Youth from the occupied territories of Ukraine at the military center “Warrior” in Russia. Photo: RCPD It is noted that on December 20, ahead of the announced “Year of the Defender of the Fatherland” in 2025, Vladimir Putin approved a list of four directives for the Russian government, which includes a mandate to:
- create and develop a network of “military-sport camps” to promote military service among youth;
- expand the Kremlin's “Roads of Victory” program;
- establish an online platform to organize military-patriotic education programs for Russian youth;
- transition one children's “health camp” to year-round operation.
According to analysts, the Kremlin's “Roads of Victory” program is aimed at “instilling patriotic feelings in modern children and youth” and offers free excursions to Russian cultural and historical sites of “military glory” for Russian children and youth.
“The Kremlin has already utilized military-sport training camps ‘Avant-garde’ for the militarization of Ukrainian youth through Russian cultural and historical narratives and appears to be expanding the network of these and similar camps across Russia as part of its long-term efforts to build the armed forces,” the report states.
The Russian authorities also plan to expand and elevate the status of other youth military-patriotic organizations, such as “Yunarmiya” and “First Movement,” with the goal of militarizing Russian youth.
Analysts believe that Putin intends to focus Russia's political and ideological priorities for 2025 on Russian veterans and further militarization of Russian society.
“The Kremlin likely aims to use these military-political organizations to promote and enhance the prestige of military service among Russian youth and society, as the authorities continue to plan their long-term military actions in Ukraine and potential future armed conflicts with Western countries,” analysts contend.
It is worth noting that during the summer season of 2024, Russian authorities transported 40,000 children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to re-education camps, which is double the number from the previous year.
Earlier, ZMINA reported that in mid-August, more than 20 children from the Russian-occupied regions of Luhansk were at the military-historical camp “Pride of the Nation” in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. Schoolchildren from the occupied Genichesk, who were taken by the occupying authorities to the Adygean camp “Lan,” were supposed to meet with Russian military officer Andrey Vasnetsov, who captured the Kherson region as part of the Russian army in 2022.
Additionally, the fund of Belarusian Alexei Talai organized the transportation of 43 children aged 8-15 from the Russian-occupied Donetsk region to Vitebsk Oblast in Belarus for so-called rehabilitation on August 7.