Russian Army Entices High School Students in Occupied Luhansk with Cash and Social Benefits

In temporarily occupied areas of Luhansk, high school students are being encouraged to sign contracts with the Russian military, with promises of financial compensation and social benefits, according to the Luhansk Regional State Administration (RSA).

Reports from the region indicate that teachers in the Starobilsk district are leading recruitment efforts, offering students money and urging them to join the Russian army under contract, despite many of these students facing conscription in the coming years. Teachers present the contractual form of military service as a more financially advantageous option, according to RSA officials.

“The emphasis is on receiving money and being sent directly to the front lines, where Russian forces require a substantial number of infantry,” the RSA said in a statement.

In addition to these efforts, new methods have been introduced to identify men of conscription age in Luhansk. One such method involves the creation of local chapters of the “Fathers of Russia” organization, which recruits members through a Telegram bot. Users are required to provide personal details, including information about their children. This data is reportedly forwarded to military offices for further action.

This is not the first time Russian forces have been accused of recruiting children in temporarily occupied territories. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets previously reported that similar militarization efforts are ongoing in parts of Zaporizhzhia under Russian control, where children are being trained for military service.