See inside a Russian military club, where schoolchildren take shooting lessons under a pro-war Z flag

Ever since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the authorities have intensified their focus on propaganda, including efforts aimed at children and teenagers. According to calculations by Agentstvo Media, the total number of instructional hours dedicated to “promoting Kremlin ideas” in Russian schools has doubled in the 2024/25 academic year. For example, the class previously called “Fundamentals of Life Safety” has been renamed “Fundamentals of Homeland Security and Defense” and now includes modules like “Military Training: Fundamentals of Military Knowledge.” Plans are also underway to send students to training camps beginning in the 8th grade rather than the 10th. Parents who oppose this risk fines under laws against “discrediting” the military.

Military training for students extends beyond the official curriculum. The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti recently published photos of the military-sports club “Rubezh” in the town of Divnogorsk in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Krai. There, students are taught how to shoot under the supervision of Sergey Chesalin, a veteran of the Soviet Airborne Forces special units.