Russia luring students from occupied part of Donbas to front - Media
Illustrative photo: Russian military personnel (Getty Images)
The Russian Ministry of Defense is actively using educational institutions in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to recruit students into unmanned systems units, according to Radio Svoboda.
Recruitment through educational institutions
According to the investigation, at least eight universities and five colleges operating under the control of occupation administrations are involved.
These include so-called "clones" of Ukrainian higher education institutions created after 2014 and 2022, including structures calling themselves Dal University, Tugan-Baranovsky University, DonNTU, DonNASA, as well as the Mariupol Technological University.
Involvement of administrations
It is noted that the recruitment process goes beyond ordinary campaigning. The administrations of educational institutions are directly involved.
Students are offered to complete paperwork in the dean’s offices or in special military registration offices.
In some cases, for example, at the so-called "Donbas State Technical University," recruitment is carried out through the formation of student units within the university itself.
Methods of attracting students
Recruiters use various arguments to attract young people. These include claims of supposedly safe conditions for drone operators, promises of short-term contracts with the option of dismissal after one year, as well as financial payments and an emphasis on the "prestige" of service in such units.
The Ukrainian side has noted signs of expansion of military logistics and infrastructure on the territory of Belarus, which could potentially be used in coordination with Russia in the future.
The Russian command is withdrawing its most trained servicemen from the front line to take part in demonstration events in Moscow, including the May 9 parade, which leads to their replacement with less experienced personnel and, as a result, increased losses on the front line.
