Russia recruiting college students for war against Ukraine
Photo: Students are subjected to a carrot and stick approach (Getty Images)
In Russia, at least 70 educational institutions in 24 regions, including the temporarily occupied Crimea, are recruiting students to participate in the war against Ukraine, Military reports.
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According to the agency, 57 universities, as well as 13 colleges and technical schools, are currently participating in efforts to recruit students to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense.
All this is happening in 24 regions, while Echo writes that the actual number of institutions involved in recruitment is likely to be significantly higher.
Universities such as Plekhanov Russian University of Economics and Far Eastern Federal University are introducing quotas for training students for service in the Russian army.
This method of recruiting students is described as a carrot and stick approach, in which students are promised large payments. Moreover, they are promised that in some cases, there will be additional payments at the expense of the universities.
The contract's promotional text states that the vacancy is positioned as recruitment into the unmanned systems force and is presented as an exciting career in a high-tech industry that will provide sought-after modern skills.
Recruiters describe such military service as an academic leave of absence that allows students to continue their studies after the war. It was also mentioned that some are even promised guaranteed discharge after the contract expires.
"At the same time, students are pressured to attend recruitment meetings, threatening punishment for failure to attend. Sometimes students, especially those with poor academic performance, are summoned personally to the administration, where they are coerced into signing the contract," Echo writes.
According to the agency, the director of a college in Novosibirsk called students who did not express a desire to go to war cowards.
Echo adds that assessing the performance of students with different levels of education could prove to be a successful long-term strategy.
Mobilization in Russia and frontline issues
A week ago, Bloomberg wrote that the growth of the Russian army could disrupt the Kremlin's plans for a large-scale offensive against Ukraine in the coming months.
Recently, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Pavlo Palisa, said that Russia would be forced to return to mobilization if it failed to make progress in the political arena or in peace talks.
China has urged its citizens living in Russia to be cautious due to a new conscription law. The reason is that the document obliges foreigners to serve in the Russian army.
