Russian defense ministry is recruiting students directly on campuses with promises of lucrative contracts and continued education, but observers fear deception and potential deployment to the front lines.
Student Recruitment Drive
The Russian Ministry of Defense is actively recruiting students for drone units directly on university campuses, offering a one-year contract, service away from the Ukrainian front, approximately five million rubles (around 50,000 euros), and free education after military service.
Universities are hosting meetings with military recruitment officials, informing students about the benefits of contracts with the Ministry of Defense, according to university websites and student reports on Telegram channels. At least 70 educational institutions in 23 Russian regions, including annexed Crimea, are participating in the recruitment effort, with a concentration in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Pressure on Universities
According to a Moscow university employee, university heads were summoned to a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, responsible for education and science, and instructed to recruit students for drone units. Initially, the focus was on technical and military universities, but has since expanded to other institutions.
A source reports that universities have been assigned recruitment quotas ranging from 0.5 to 2 percent of their student population, with potential repercussions for leadership failing to meet these targets. A recent surge in student failure rates is reportedly linked to this pressure, with struggling students being specifically targeted.
Contract Concerns and Deception
Advertisements promote one-year contracts with a return to civilian life, but legal experts argue these contracts do not align with current legislation. Artjom Klyga, a lawyer with the “Movement Against Military Service,” states the contracts are effectively open-ended until the end of partial mobilization declared by Vladimir Putin.
Andrey Kartapolov, a Duma deputy, confirmed that students are signing “full-fledged contracts,” meaning the advertised “drone unit” contracts are standard military agreements. Russian law does not guarantee exclusive service in drone units, with reassignment possible after contract signing.
Student Skepticism and Warnings
Students on Telegram channels express skepticism about the promises made by authorities. One audio recording features a military recruitment representative suggesting students with poor academic performance or health issues take a leave of absence and sign a one-year contract, offering a chance to “recharge” and continue studies 20 kilometers from the front.
Students are warned against trusting these promises, with one commenter referencing the deaths of two drone pilots, “Goodwin” and “Ernest,” after their unit was disbanded and they were sent to the front. Concerns are also raised about the recruitment of female students, potentially for roles as medics.
Broken Promises and Frontline Deployment
The “Idite lesom” (Go Through the Forest) movement, which supports Russian deserters, has documented cases of broken promises. Students from the St. Petersburg Petrovsky College were promised work in a military facility but were subsequently deployed to the front as drone pilots.
A contract soldier who spoke to DW in January reported being promised a staff position but was later transferred to a mine-clearing unit, and subsequently killed in the Kharkiv region.
Limited Awareness and Future Tactics
A Moscow university employee reports that no students at their institution have yet signed contracts, but fears many are unaware of the potential consequences. The employee attempts to subtly warn students of the risks, noting that some recognize the inadequacy of financial compensation for potential disability or death.
The source predicts a shift towards individual recruitment efforts at army recruitment centers, with attempts to persuade students to sign contracts. They express a reluctance to become involved in the war, stating that universities are becoming “barracks” and their humanist values prevent them from sending students to fight.
