The Kalashnikov Concern, Russia’s largest weapons manufacturer, is actively recruiting schoolchildren aged 16 and older for “summer work,” according to Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation.
In a Telegram post, the Center reported that the Kalashnikov arms producer is offering teenagers summer jobs with starting monthly salaries of 25,000 rubles (about $300). The positions include training for roles such as milling machine operators, locksmiths, and foundry workers.
The Center emphasized that this initiative is part of broader efforts by the Kremlin to militarize Russian youth. Similar programs are already underway in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, where Shahed drones are produced, with local high school students being recruited into “labor detachments.”
As early as 2023, Russian media outlet Protokol reported that students at the Alabuga Polytechnic College – some as young as 15 – were already assembling Shahed drones.
Additionally, a mandatory course has been introduced in Russian schools to teach children how to assemble and operate drones.
“By involving teenagers in the defense industry while they are still in school, Russian authorities are attempting to create a labor reserve for military plants suffering from severe workforce shortages,” the Center said.
“With such steps, the Kremlin is also seeking to cultivate a pool of future contract soldiers to replenish its army,” it added.
The Kalashnikov Concern, part of the Rostec state corporation (51% ownership), is a major producer of both military and civilian products, including combat rifles, guided artillery shells, unmanned systems, and precision weapons. The company’s exports reach over 27 countries.
Since 2015, Kalashnikov has also expanded into the production of remote-controlled combat modules, drones, special-purpose boats, tactical gear, and clothing.
British intelligence reported in late April that since 2022, Russia’s education system has become increasingly politicized, militarized, and aligned with the Kremlin’s ideological goals.
Independent Russian media Verstka also reported that school materials now contain more pro-war propaganda, anti-Western narratives, and aggressive “patriotic” messaging, while mentions of Ukraine are being systematically removed.
These efforts, analysts say, are designed to build a militarized, nationalist society and to encourage support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Russia’s Youth Strategy 2024 explicitly emphasizes increasing the prestige of military service and supporting young soldiers and their families – moves that appear aimed at securing a new generation of recruits amid mounting battlefield losses.
The report concluded that the Kremlin’s educational policies also aim to instill the denial of Ukraine’s sovereignty and legitimate statehood among Russian youth.