The Soviet Union stopped military classes in schools in 1993. But Russia now wants to reintroduce it. As the British Ministry of Defense reports, the initiative is "part of a broader project".
According to British secret services, Moscow is planning to introduce compulsory military education in Russian schools. According to British estimates, this should increase the readiness for mobilization and military service among young people. The Ministry of Defense in London said the training aims to equip students approaching conscription age with military skills, citing intelligence findings. "This initiative is also likely part of a broader project to instill in the Russian people an ideology of patriotism and trust in public institutions," it said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense supports the program and has stipulated that at least 140 hours in the academic year are earmarked for the so-called military preparation course, the British authority said. The training should start in September 2023. Similar programs involving preparations for a chemical or nuclear attack, first aid, and gunnery training had also existed in the Soviet Union but had been discontinued in 1993.
The Russian authorities wanted to resume training after the annexation of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, it said in London. "There was hope that this initiative would increase the quality of the conscripts." But that didn't happen. Morale is low and training is limited. A new training program is currently being put together and should be available by the end of the year.
The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign.
