Schoolchildren in Russia Compete as “Stormtroopers” in Putin-Backed Military Games

Russian authorities in St. Petersburg have introduced “stormtrooper” (assault troop) competitions for schoolchildren as part of the nationwide “Zarnitsa 2.0” military-patriotic games, The Moscow Times reported, citing Russian media on April 15.

“Zarnitsa 2.0” was organized by Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s “Movement of the First” youth group. The competitions involve students from grades 5 through 11, as well as technical college students. Participants are divided into 10-person teams designed to simulate real combat squads.

Children are assigned specific military roles, including a commander, signaler, sapper, medic, drone operator, military correspondent, and two “stormtroopers.”

During the events, the designated child stormtroopers operate in pairs, engaging targets and throwing grenades against the clock. Teams are evaluated on their ability to build tactical shelters, signal for ammunition or rations, and demonstrate proper squad movement during combat. Meanwhile, the team’s “military correspondents” are tasked with publishing state-aligned posts on Telegram social media, earning extra points for generating likes, reposts, and incorporating memes into their war coverage, The Moscow Times wrote.

The militarization of Russian education has accelerated significantly since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. High school students are now required to take a newly updated subject titled “Basics of Security and Defense of the Motherland.”

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War in Ukraine

Russia’s Child Soldiers: How the Kremlin Trains Ukrainian Kids and Sends Them to the Frontlines

Jul 07, 2025 14:46

Under directives from the Ministry of Education, schools are being forced to equip classrooms with shooting ranges, electronic weapon simulators, radiation and chemical reconnaissance labs, and realistic wound simulators to prepare youth for potential military service.

The militarization of Russian youth extends far beyond tactical movement and throwing grenades; it is part of a massive, state-sponsored effort to prepare children for future high-tech warfare. As part of a plan to train one million drone specialists by 2030, the Kremlin has integrated drone assembly and piloting into the official curricula of over 500 schools.

Taught by operators with real combat experience, students are heavily recruited by state-sponsored organizations like the “Youth Army” (YunArmia), which has over 1.8 million members and recruits children as young as eight. This highly coordinated brainwashing campaign is designed to create a “drone generation"—funneling teenagers into military contracts where they may ultimately be sent to the front lines in Ukraine, according to The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

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