April 19, 2026:
In northeastern Russia has established a school to teach teenage boys how to operate and maintain drones. There was also instruction on how to use naval drones that operate underwater. This is done in cooperation with the VOIN/Fighter training centers.
Russia has established thirteen VOIN. These are used to expose teenagers to military life by giving them military uniforms, regular military orientation and some training to prepare them for joining the military via conscription or volunteering. The VOIN training for teenagers also includes a lot of education and indoctrination about the importance of patriotism and preparing to defend Russia. This is one of the reasons Russia never refers to their invasion of Ukraine as an invasion. According to the government, the fighting in Ukraine is a Russian internal matter to suppress separatist activity by some people in southern Russia that call themselves Ukrainians and are fighting to create an independent country called Ukraine.
At one point a Russian lyceum/high school hired disabled former soldiers who had served in Ukraine. The soldiers taught the students about the many types of drones and how to care for and operate these weapons. The students were also shown videos and directed to view TV shows that presented more relevant Ukraine war videos. A state controlled TV channel regularly shows videos about the Ukraine war. Naturally these videos ignore the enormous casualties’ Russian forces have taken. Instead, videos show practical aspects of how the war is fought. There are an increasing number of videos on drone warfare.
Most civilians know what really goes on in Ukraine. Wounded or disabled Ukraine war veterans are constantly returning home and telling their friends and neighbors about the war. The high school students hear about this. While some are discouraged about eventually going to Ukraine, others are willing to accept the challenge, and large signing bonuses being offered. Large sums, over $20,000 per new soldier, used to be paid. But the state has run out of money and current high school students will have to decide if much lower signing bonuses are worth the risks. Vladimir Putin says Russia will keep fighting until Ukraine is conquered. Only time will tell how that will work out.
Since 2022, VOIN centers also trained Russian army reservists headed for Ukraine. Recently, the number of reservists called up has overwhelmed the VOIN system and reservists are sent to Ukraine without any preparation. Losses are higher for these reservists.
The VOIN training for teenagers is an enhanced version of the familiarization training many, but not all, Russian high school boys receive. Russia wants to make VOIN available everywhere without making it too expensive to maintain everywhere. That will take a considerable effort which Russia probably can’t afford.