Russia expands military training for schoolchildren aged 11 to 17
Russia has doubled the amount of required military training for schoolchildren aged 11 to 17, according to the latest reported changes to the curriculum. The programme, known as Fundamentals of Homeland Security and Defence, now includes lessons on drones, field exercises and firearms. The new format could begin as soon as September in occupied Crimea.
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Education minister Sergei Kravtsov said the course will now include at least 17 hours of basic military training, within a total of 34 hours of material. Schools are also requiring pupils to study Russian military history, civil service, wartime survival, combat skills, firearm handling and how to use grenades. The reported changes mark a significant expansion of military preparation in the school system.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO. It also follows earlier reporting that children in Russia were being taught how to protect themselves in a nuclear attack, including the combat properties and damaging effects of mass destruction weapons and methods of protection against them. The latest curriculum changes suggest that military readiness is being pushed further into everyday education for younger pupils.
Occupied Crimea is being mentioned as a possible starting point for the new format, which gives the change added political significance. Crimea has been under Russian control since 2014, and any rollout there would place the policy in a territory already central to the wider conflict over Ukraine. The reported timing, as soon as September, indicates the changes could be implemented quickly if confirmed.
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The broader context is a period of renewed military build-up and security messaging by Russia. The reported school changes come as Russia has been strengthening its military posture and re-establishing structures linked to defence planning. That wider environment helps explain why military education is being expanded for children, even as it raises questions about the role of schools in preparing minors for conflict-related scenarios.
What remains unclear is how widely the new format will be applied beyond occupied Crimea and whether all schools will adopt it at the same pace. It is also not yet clear how the expanded lessons will be delivered in practice, or how parents and local authorities will respond. The next key point to watch is whether the September timetable is confirmed and whether the curriculum is formally rolled out across other regions.
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