Russian universities are launching an intensive recruitment campaign to funnel students into the military's new drone warfare units, according to student testimonies and leaked documents.
Students across the country report facing "colossal" pressure to enlist, with recruitment posters for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) forces appearing on campuses nationwide.
Direct messages from students to CNN describe a sudden shift in campus atmosphere. "This year everything changed," one student reported. "The university authorities are now urging students to go to war."
Deceptive promises and coercion
The campaign follows the Russian Ministry of Defense's January announcement of the 'Forces of Unmanned Systems.' Recent recruitment materials target young people by framing military service as a high-tech extension of gaming.
One recruitment video from the Kazan University of Architecture and Civil Engineering tells students they are "wasting time with video games" and suggests the military offers a place where their skills are valuable. Another video from Volgograd's Plekhanov University compares eSports players to drone operators, explicitly stating priority will be given to gamers.
While these ads promise short-term, one-year contracts and roles far from the front lines, legal experts warn of hidden risks. Artem Klyga, a Russian military lawyer based in Berlin, says the Ministry of Defense has issued specific instructions to universities to organize these campaigns and report daily progress to the Ministry.
Experts tell CNN that these specialized offers likely serve as a cover for standard, indefinite military contracts. Many students remain skeptical of the promised benefits, leading some universities to resort to coercion and threats to meet recruitment quotas.
Data from the independent media outlet Groza suggests the campaign spans at least 269 higher education institutions across Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories. Prestigious institutions, including Saint Petersburg State University and the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, are actively participating in the drive.
