Russia has expanded its military education programme for schoolchildren, introducing more intensive defence training for students aged 11 to 17 as the country continues to strengthen its military preparedness.
Russian Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov announced that the updated curriculum, known as “Fundamentals of Homeland Security and Defence,” will now include at least 17 hours of basic military instruction as part of a 34-hour course.
Under the revised programme, students will receive lessons on operating drones, field training exercises, firearm handling and other military-related skills. The curriculum also covers Russian military history, civil defence, wartime survival techniques, combat basics and the use of grenades.
According to Russian newspaper Kommersant, the updated classes could begin as early as September in Russian-occupied Crimea.
The latest changes build on previous reforms to Russia’s education system. In 2024, reports showed that schoolchildren were being taught how to respond to a nuclear attack, including lessons on the effects of weapons of mass destruction and methods of protecting themselves during such emergencies.
The expansion of military training comes at a time of growing security tensions between Russia and NATO.
Russia has also stepped up military activity near its northwestern border. The country recently began constructing a new military base close to Finland’s eastern frontier, marking the first major development of its kind in the area since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Satellite and aerial images indicate that around a dozen new barracks are being built after forest clearance work started in late 2025. Military analyst and former Finnish intelligence officer Marko Eklund estimated that the base could eventually accommodate between 4,000 and 6,000 military personnel.
The planned deployment has raised security concerns in Finland, which shares an approximately 830-mile (1,340-kilometre) border with Russia.
Russia has increased its military presence along the region since Finland and Sweden joined NATO, a move both Nordic countries made after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine significantly altered Europe’s security landscape.
