In Russia, students are being agitated to join drone forces — over 200 meetings were held at universities

At least 200 meetings have been held at Russian universities and colleges since the end of 2025, where students are being agitated to sign a contract and join the drone forces.

This is reported by the Russian publication "Verstka".

According to journalistsʼ estimates, such meetings have taken place in at least 203 educational institutions across Russia and in annexed Crimea. They are attended by representatives of military enlistment offices, university administrations, or military personnel already serving under contract.

Students are told about a new branch of the military, which the Russian Ministry of Defense reported in November 2025. They are convinced that the service will supposedly last only a year, that they will work with drones far from the front lines and will be able to return to training. They are also promised large payments — in some cases over RUB 5 million per year of service.

During the meetings, students are shown videos of drones, given demonstrations of the technology, or even organized drone competitions. Sometimes students are gathered for such events under other pretexts — for example, supposedly to talk about exams.

Journalists write that in some cases, school administrations pressure students, especially those with debt. They may be hinted at expulsion or offered to "solve the problem" by signing a contract.

At the same time, lawyers and independent experts warn that the so-called one-year contract may actually be indefinite. While Russia is in the process of partial mobilization, military contracts are automatically extended.

In addition, there is no guarantee that a person will actually end up in the drone operator unit after signing a contract. If a candidate fails the selection, he or she may be sent to other units, including the infantry.

• In 2024, SBU reported in absentia the suspicion of the leader of the Russian movement "Youth Army" in temporarily occupied Crimea Serhiy Havrylchuk. According to the investigation, since 2022, Havrylchuk had been promoting voluntary enlistment in the Russian army among children and adolescents and spreading propaganda against Ukraine.

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