British intelligence has raised concerns about the Russian government’s efforts to instil a sense of militarisation among its youth as the war in Ukraine continues.
According to the Ministry of Defence’s latest update, Russia is introducing a new military training module in schools aimed at preparing young people for future military service.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 03 September 2024.
Find out more about Defence Intelligence’s use of language: https://t.co/JBn6WBLXDD #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/Tua47AAtjg
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) September 3, 2024
The report states, “As the school year begins across Russia, the Russian state is introducing and funding a new military training module. The module is part of a new programme called Foundations of Security and Defence of the Motherland for 15 to 18 year olds.”
This programme consists of 11 modules, requiring a total of 68 teaching hours, and will cover various topics, including combined arms combat and small arms familiarisation. The purpose of this course is to “form values, acquire knowledge and skills that ensure readiness to fulfil the constitutional duty to protect the State.”
The new youth strategy, which was approved by the Russian government in August 2024, aims to increase the prestige of military service and instil a sense of patriotism and civic duty among teenagers. The strategy states, “It will likely result in a more militarised and security focused society.” Additionally, there has been an increase in summer camps that engage children in military activities.
The Russian government claims that youth values have shifted over the last 30 years from collectivism to individualism, as well as from statism to cosmopolitanism. The update notes, “The ideological expansionism of Russia’s geopolitical competitors had led to the weakening of traditional values and growth of individualism.”
Here’s the UK Intelligence update in full.
“As the school year begins across Russia, the Russian state is introducing and funding a new military training module. The module is part of a new programme called Foundations of Security and Defence of the Motherland for 15 to 18 year olds. The course has 11 modules, requiring 68 teaching hours. The course will cover a range of topics including combined arms combat and small arms familiarisation. It is aimed at “forming values, acquiring knowledge and skills that ensure readiness to fulfil the constitutional duty to protect the State.”
The programme seeks to create and will likely result in a more militarised and security focused society. The new youth strategy which was approved by the government in August 2024 aims at raising the prestige of military service, instilling patriotism, and civic duty responsibility, but primarily prepare pre-conscription age teenagers mentally and physically for military service.
There is additionally an increase in the number of summer camps for children which engage in various military activities. The strategy notes that in the last 30 years youth values had shifted from collectivism to individualism and from statism to cosmopolitanism. It claims that the ideological expansionism of Russia’s geopolitical competitors had led to the weakening of traditional values and growth of individualism. The new strategy aims to reverse that process, with the militarisation of youth as an integral part of that process.”
I’m no fan of Russia but I don’t really see a problem with introducing military training to teenagers particularly in a country that has conscription
Just seen some of this on Sky news the kids on the news article we’re only around 8-10yrs of age.Feeding kids full of lies ,not something I agree with personality .
To be fair I wouldn’t trust sky news to tell me if it was light outside during the day , i do think 8/10 is a little young to be doing military training but teenagers I have no problem with it u open there eyes to military service give them some pride just like the cubs the scouts army cadets etc I think it’s good for kids
It’s called brainwashing children into good little soldiers who “just follow orders”. A corner stone of all goods fascist, communist or extremist states..
It’s something that could come straight out of a Hitler youth programme or the ministry of peace.
”Foundations of security and defence of the motherland” when your enemy starts teaching that to its children, prepare for war.
Like I said in a country with conscription I really don’t see a problem with it many countrys in the latter years of high school have a period where they do military training I saw it in Thailand for example like I said I’m no fan of Russia and of course they will brain wash them but I wouldn’t care if the U.K. introduced some military training into high school when we had national service it was seen as normal to install pride into our boys
National service was never about instilling pride in people, it was simply a way to have more bodies for a fight for the bare minimum cost. The problem is that anyone doing national service isn’t contributing to the economy and conscripts tend to make shit soldiers.
National service absolutely installed pride in the person ask anyone who goes through military training and again I see no problem with giving the population a basic understanding of military things when your a teenager look at Russia now it’s sending boys to fight in an illegal war unprepared same thing happened in ww1 men were getting to shoot 40 rounds through basic and sent off to fight teaching boys how to shoot takes the pressure off people if a major war happens and boys get sent to the front with very little training , as to conscripts making bad… Read more »
profoundly scary…Russia and china are so deep into the profound evils of the early mid 20c you can pretty much guarantee the world is going to go in the same direction as it did in the last century.
More Meat for the Grinder.
In 2029.
Every country seems to brainwash their children according to the political doctrine in force at the time. Most western countries, the UK included, concentrate on climate change and diversity. Russia goes for militarism. What’s the difference in the end?
Climate change is a political doctrine?
Claiming that you need to urgently decarbonise regardless of the broader cost and practical implication certainly is.
You should take a look at the global situation…
Scepticism won’t save you.
Humanity’s survival on this planet is not guaranteed.
So yes, being a bit ‘extreme’ and asking for 100 to get 20 isn’t so extreme after all, because that’s the reality, nobody would dream of politicians having any real influence/view on the situation because of their own interests for the next few years, whereas climate change has us talking about decades or centuries and humanity not only UK or China…
That a valid opinion- I assume you say that with an understanding that manmade global warming is occurring?
Looks like its worked on you Wasp snorter.
As said, all countries and cultures will ‘indoctrinate’ their kids, religion is an obvious one but all sorts of ideals are pushed on kids, sadly not just by their parents. We (as a nation) seem to be obsessing with gender and race.
Nothing has worked on me, I’m no gullible dumbass who has been tricked, that’s your opinion although actually I am unclear what that is, as you have thrown in other gripes into that muddled paragraph. I’m not getting into any of this on this site, which is for defence issues,
😂 Oh bless. Waspy, you should have taken some time to digest what I wrote instead of thrashing furiously at the keyboard. Never mind.
I read it twice, and there was no thrashing, just sedate and elegant touching of my phone screen to craft out a pointed response.
Climate Change is the biggest false doctrine ever fed to the sheeple.
Baaaa
I’m sure what the Russians are doing is very poisonous, but I do remember meeting a US Liaison officer in the foyer of Field Army HQ and having to explain why we had loads of pictures of ‘child soldiers’ (cadets) on all of the window art.
I remember a Czech woman I worked with telling me she learned to throw hand grenades at school (not live ones). She grew up during the cold war
Ditto, I know a few Czechs who have stayed here. They can strip an AK blindfold and speak fluent Russian.
As usual news about militarisation of Palestinian children are nowhere to be seen.
Not sure I like the way they’re doing it, but the principle of familiarising the country’s youth with military capabilities is entirely sound. A more ‘security focused’ society is something that would be in our interests after all.
Thats ok. When they meet our kids on a battlefield they can have discussions on diversity and inclusion, the merits of transgenderism and Net Zero.
“What do you mean? Call of duty doesn’t count?”
Don’t we take army cadets at c14 years old? Weapons(small arms) familiarisation is a huge advantage.
As others have mentioned, all societies brainwash their kids. It’s a question of what you choose to wash their brains with.
Personally I think how the decline of the cadets is a bad thing. Maybe it would get some of them of the streets and out of gangs. The army you can learn all sorts of trades I think some money should be put back into revitalisation of the cadets. And talking about global warming on hear. 🤦 I won’t say it’s not happening because it is. But keep it for your blogs not on here.