Vladimir Putin is aiming for the “militarization of youth” in Russia as the war with Ukraine continues, according to UK intelligence.
The Ministry of Defence’s latest update on the conflict, which began two and a half years ago, says the Russian state is “introducing and funding a new military training module” in the nation’s schools.
“The programme seeks to create and will likely result in a more militarised and security-focused society,” the MoD said in its latest update on the war, posted on X.
“The new youth strategy ... aims at raising the prestige of military service, instilling patriotism and civic duty responsibility, but primarily prepare pre-conscription teenagers mentally and physically for military service.”
The MoD the number of children’s summer camps in Russia which engage in military activities is also on the rise as Moscow tries to counter the rise of “individualism” among the population.
They added: “It claims that the ideological expansionism of Russia’s geopolitical competitors has led to the weakening of traditional values and growth of individualism.
“The new strategy aims to reverse that process, with the militarization of youth as an integral part of that process.”
Putin, the Russian president, had initially expected that his country’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, launched in February 2022, would be over within days.
But backed by western allies including the UK, Kyiv continues to fight back against its neighbour’s aggression.
The MoD estimated in July that the Russian military had suffered 70,000 casualties in May and June alone as the conflict goes on.
Kyiv also launched its own invasion of Russia’s Kursk region earlier in the summer - a move which Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said had scuppered any hope of peace.
Putin yesterday blamed “hostile elites in some countries” for Russia’s isolation on the world stage, rather than the ongoing war.