Kids building war machines? Russia defence firms recruiting children for drone design, reveals report
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Representational Image. Photograph: (X)
The findings have revealed the growing extent of the involvement of the Russian government in dragging the youth of the country into the war against Ukraine.
Russian authorities have reportedly been involving children in the design and testing of drones for the country’s war efforts in Ukraine. This development began nationwide with video games competitions through which the most skilled participants are being recruited by defence companies, an investigator has found.
The findings were revealed by the exiled Russian news outlet the Insider, highlighting the growing extent of the Russian government's alleged involvement in dragging the country's youth into the war against Ukraine, with the blurring of the lines between “patriotic” and militarised education that often turn out to be direct participation.
“The kids are actively involved in modelling components of systems for various drones,” one of the teenagers told. “I know of several people at least who were modelling UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] components for major enterprises,” the teenager added, as reported by the Guardian.
Vladimir Putin has directed Russia to bolster drone production, which has become a significant part of the war for Russia against Ukraine. As drone battles from both ends constantly change with discoveries of new technologies, with evading electronic jamming systems, Russia is looking for the smartest tech prodigies with the help of youth.
When does the initiative start?
The initiative, launched in 2022, began with a video game called Berloga, in which “intelligent bears” have to defend themselves from bees, sometimes using drones, the investigation revealed. The game, which is played by hundreds of thousands of young Russians, can lead to extra credit in exams at the end of high school for those who succeed in the game.
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The top-performing participants advance to a higher-level context, including one name as "Big Challenges". This aims to identify talented school students for recruitment by Russian companies, many of whom face international sanctions due to their alleged involvement in the defence sector of the country.
Three teenage finalists from the competition working on drone technology were interviewed, who described how the programme operates and revealed that while they were fully aware of the military application of certain projects, but were urged to hide it.
“We were forbidden to say that it was needed for the war, and we invented civilian applications. It’s a children’s program … A project must always have a dual purpose, especially when you’re a school student. It’s an unwritten rule I’ve observed at every competition,” said one.
Along with small drones, children are also involved in the production of larger drones. Children also revealed working inside military facilities: a 13-year-old explained how he had trained soldiers in drone operations inside a state facility in 2022.
