Universities Turned into Training Camps. What Quota for “Volunteers” Did the Kremlin Set?
In the temporarily occupied Mariupol, Russian authorities are systematically involving students in military training under the guise of “patriotic education.”
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Telegram channel of the Mariupol City Council.
Read also: The Railway on the Ruins: Why Russia is Urgently Connecting Donetsk and Mariupol
Military Training in Universities
According to the center, students at the so-called “Mariupol State University” are undergoing training sessions in shooting and combat behavior. Under the guise of “patriotic education,” young people are being taught how to handle weapons, tactical exercises, military marches, and oath ceremonies of loyalty to Russia.
Covert Mobilization
The occupiers have effectively launched a covert mobilization of students. Universities are offering young people the opportunity to sign contracts for service in the Russian army.
As early as the beginning of 2026, rectors of major Russian universities were tasked with ensuring that at least 2% of students sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Militarization from School
In occupied Mariupol, military training begins as early as school age through “Yunarmiya” cells. About 6,000 Ukrainian children aged 6 to 18 have been recruited into this movement.
There have already been cases where, upon reaching adulthood, children who underwent such training joined the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces and participated in combat operations against Ukraine.
It is worth noting that this is not an isolated case of militarization in temporarily occupied territories. In Donbas, the right of full-time students to deferment from conscription is widely ignored – young people are directed to military training in violation of even Russian legislation.
A separate issue is the abduction of Ukrainian children. According to Yale University, Russian energy giants “Gazprom” and “Rosneft” financed and provided logistics for the illegal transportation of at least two thousand Ukrainian children to “pro-Russian education” camps.
Source: rbc.ua +rel=”nofollow”
