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Russian Lawmaker Proposes Mandatory Military Training From Fifth Grade to Prepare for 2030 NATO War
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A proposal in the Russian State Duma advocates for initiating mandatory military preparation for children starting in the fifth grade, aiming to prepare 11-year-olds for a potential military confrontation with NATO and the European Union by the year 2030.
Viktor Vodolatsky, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, stated that specialized disciplines must be taught immediately following primary school, mirroring the curriculum found in cadet corps, to ensure that young boys and girls are ready to meet external threats, according to The Moscow Times on June 22.
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The lawmaker emphasized that the state must cultivate the next generation to reinforce the armed forces while simultaneously expanding the defense-industrial complex, specifically focusing on missile manufacturing.
Under the proposed initiative, initial military training would become a universal requirement for younger adolescents rather than a program reserved solely for older students.
Currently, military basics are integrated into the curriculum for senior high school students under the course titled "Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Fatherland." For students in the 10th and 11th grades, the current program covers elements of drill formation, wartime first aid, tactical squad maneuvers, aerial attack shelter protocols, and the physical handling of hand grenades.
Beyond classroom instruction, younger students are continuously engaged in institutionalized tactical activities such as the "Zarnitsa 2.0" military-patriotic games, which accept children starting at 7 years of age.
These organized simulations train participants in escaping captivity, assaulting hostile positions, executing electronic defense measures against hackers, navigating active combat zones, operating combat drones, and executing state propaganda initiatives.
During these exercises, participants are assigned specialized wartime designations, serving as squad commanders, military correspondents, combat engineers, medics, drone operators, political instructors, or assault troops.
"With fifth grade, just like in the cadet corps, it is necessary to teach disciplines that will allow girls and boys to be ready for any challenges from the outside. We must prepare our youth for the defense of the Fatherland," Vodolatsky stated.
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He noted that a potential conflict with NATO could begin in 2030, given the statements of Western leaders, so the state should focus on the younger generation to replenish the army, as well as actively "increase the military-industrial complex," including the production of rockets.
Previously, Russia’s Presidential Grants Foundation allocated over 2 million rubles ($25,000) to a program teaching wartime survival skills to 120 schoolchildren in the Belgorod border region.
Scheduled to run from September 2026 through June 2027, the initiative trained participants aged 10 to 17 in emergency response, map navigation, first aid, and survival tactics during missile, drone, and artillery attacks.
Organized by the Brotherhood of Orthodox Pathfinders, the curriculum also included information hygiene and mine awareness, specifically teaching children to identify anti-personnel mines like the Russian-design "Lepestok."
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