Russia Recruits School Graduates as Drone Operators in Occupied Territories

Teen Recruitment and Violence in Temporarily Occupied Areas

According to Главком: On seized Ukrainian land, Russian authorities are using school graduation ceremonies to recruit teenagers into the military, particularly into drone units. Collaborators among school administrators and teachers have compiled and handed over lists of students to representatives of Russia's Ministry of Defense and security services. These lists include minors who attended paramilitary clubs, learned to operate quadcopters, or studied homeland defense.

During this year's events, the occupiers focused on drawing graduates into unmanned aerial vehicle units. Right at and after the celebratory assemblies, recruiters held private conversations with graduates, offering them free education in Russia. They also promised teenagers promising jobs as drone operators and social privileges if they joined military formations. In many schools, parents were barred from entering the premises, making it harder for them to monitor the situation.

Situation with Violence and Control

In the temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk region, cases of sexual violence against minors committed by Russian military and security forces are rising sharply. This problem has become severe, and the CNS has gained access to internal documents from the so-called DNR Ministry of Education. Schools have been ordered to create confidential registries of teenagers who were victims of sexual crimes or attempted suicide during 2024-2025.

Additionally, a new wave of forceful raids has been recorded in the temporarily occupied areas of Kherson region. Occupation units have intensified checks and detentions of residents in Henichesk, Skadovsk, Nova Kakhovka, and other settlements. These actions show the occupiers tightening control over the local population, further complicating life for people in these territories.

This situation points to systematic human rights violations in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories, including both the recruitment of minors into the army and rising violence. By using educational institutions, Russian authorities are trying to draw young people into their military structures-a development that raises concern not only in Ukraine but also in the international community. At the same time, the occupiers' stepped-up security operations indicate a drive to control the population and suppress any signs of resistance. This poses a threat to the safety and well-being of local residents, especially children and teenagers.

In addition to military recruitment efforts, Russian authorities are implementing measures to assess the level of patriotism among students and educators. This initiative aims to reinforce the ideological control of the youth in occupied territories, creating an environment where dissent is stifled. For more on this troubling development, see how patriotism screenings are affecting schools.