Russia Enlists Students as Drone Pilots
May 15, 2026 at 22:19
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✦ AI Summary
- Universities offer free tuition and cash incentives
- Confirmed casualties have already been reported among student recruits
- Targeting tech-savvy students for military drone operations
Russian universities are actively recruiting students to serve as drone pilots in the military, promising benefits such as free tuition and up to $70,000 for a one-year commitment. Despite claims of avoiding frontline combat, there have been confirmed deaths among these new recruits.
This initiative, highlighted by Bauman Moscow State Technical University, is part of a broader strategy where at least 270 academic institutions are promoting military contracts to students, including those with gaming and technical backgrounds suited for drone operation.
The Defense Ministry specifically seeks recruits skilled in flying drones, electronics, and computer operations, tapping into a pool of about 2 million male university attendees in Russia.
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