"Russia's Militarization of Schools: Indoctrinating Youth for Sacrifice"

Russian schools are undergoing a process of militarization, with children as young as seven or eight receiving basic military training, older kids being taught how to dig trenches and shoot with real ammunition, and the national curriculum being changed to emphasize defense of the motherland. The government in Moscow is driving this effort, with an investment of thousands of "military-patriotic" clubs in schools and colleges, mandatory classes on military-patriotic values, and updated history books that accentuate Russian military triumphs. President Putin has personally led the campaign to inject patriotism into schools, rewriting history and framing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a "special mission" to protect Russian speakers from "neo-Nazis." The goal is to instill in students an understanding and acceptance of military aesthetics and combat traditions, preparing them for war.