Russian Serviceman Tells Schoolchildren to Learn the Kalashnikov So “the Whole World Speaks Russian”

A Russian serviceman who fought in Moscow’s war against Ukraine told schoolchildren in Krasnoyarsk to study the Kalashnikov assault rifle so that “the whole world would speak Russian” during an opening school ceremony, The Moscow Times reported on September 1.

The remarks were made during a traditional first-day-of-school gathering at Lyceum No. 11 in the Siberian city, according to video published by local outlets.

“As one politician said, if you want the whole world to speak Russian, learn how the Kalashnikov assault rifle works,” the serviceman said, quoting the late nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

He then congratulated the students and made a hand gesture associated with Wagner Group mercenaries.

“Jambo to everyone. Victory will be ours,” he added.

According to Russian outlet Ostorozhno, Novosti, the speaker was Alexander Klaus, who joined Russian forces in August 2023 and served as a machine gunner.

Klaus has said he participated in assaults around Avdiivka, Pisky and Vodiane in occupied eastern Ukraine before suffering a severe arm injury. He underwent five operations, was discharged from military service and later returned to Krasnoyarsk.

Local media reports indicate that Klaus has since become a regular participant in so-called patriotic events aimed at Russian schoolchildren and young people.

At a forum for students in Krasnoyarsk’s Central District in October 2025, Klaus encouraged young Russians to sign military contracts after completing compulsory service and go to war, describing such a decision as a “heroic act.”

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He has also participated in a “Lesson of Courage” at a Krasnoyarsk vocational college, part of a broader system of state-backed events that increasingly expose Russian students to military themes and narratives surrounding Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

At the same time, Klaus has publicly acknowledged struggling to readjust to civilian life.

In an interview with Russian media NIA-Krasnoyarsk, he said he intended to return to the war despite having been medically discharged, potentially serving as either a medic or machine gunner.

Previously, Ukrainian officials reported the first documented case of a child listed as missing in the official “Children of War” registry later being identified as a serviceman in the Russian armed forces.

The case involves Oleksandr Mustyatse, a native of the village of Krynky in the Kherson region.

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