According to intelligence information of the British Ministry of Defense, the new academic year in the aggressor country was marked by the introduction of a new model of military training of students in schools.
Points of attention
- The new academic year in Russia started with the implementation of a new model of military training for schoolchildren, aimed at readiness to defend the state.
- The 'Fundamentals of Homeland Security and Defense' program targets teenagers aged 15-16, encompassing 11 modules totaling 68 study hours, with a focus on fostering patriotism and military service prestige.
- The militarization of youth in Russia is viewed as a strategy to combat individualism, promote traditional values, and ensure readiness for military service, as noted by British intelligence.
- The program includes training in military combat, small arms proficiency, ideological formation based on Kremlin narratives, and constitutional duty awareness.
- British intelligence predicts that the militarization of Russian schoolchildren may further increase societal militarization, emphasizing the significance of this new youth strategy in shaping the future generation's mindset.
What is known about the preparation of students in Russian schools for the war
It is noted that a number of new measures for military training of schoolchildren are part of the program called "Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Fatherland", designed for teenagers aged 15-16.
In the intelligence of the British Ministry of Defense, it is emphasized that the training course within the framework of military training consists of 11 modules, calculated for 68 training hours.
Among the topics of this course are training in combined military combat, mastering small arms, ideological formation of values based on propaganda Kremlin narratives, acquisition of knowledge and skills that ensure readiness to fulfill the constitutional duty to protect the state."
British intelligence predicts that the implementation of this program will make Russian society even more militarized.
The new youth strategy, approved by the government in August 2024, is aimed at increasing the prestige of military service, fostering patriotism and civic responsibility, but primarily at preparing pre-conscription teenagers mentally and physically for military service.
In addition, the number of summer camps for children participating in various military activities is increasing.
What is the goal pursued by the Russian Federation with the militarization of youth
This strategy notes that over the past 30 years, the values of the younger generation have shifted from collectivism to individualism and from statism to cosmopolitanism.
It is argued that the ideological expansionism of Russia's geopolitical competitors has led to the weakening of traditional values and the growth of individualism.
The new strategy is aimed at turning this process back, while the militarization of youth is an integral part of this process, explains British intelligence.
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