“Analysts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicate that the Kremlin is expanding the program of popularizing military service among young people, including in the occupied territory of Ukraine, with the aim of long-term military operations in Ukraine and possible future armed conflicts with Western countries.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: ISW
Details: The report notes that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin continues to expand the network of so-called military-patriotic youth education programs in Russia and the occupied territory of Ukraine ahead of the Kremlin-proclaimed “Year of the Defender of the Fatherland” in 2025.
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Putin approved a list of four orders for the Russian government, which include orders to:
- creation and development of a network of “military sports camps” to popularize service in the army among young people;
- expansion of the Kremlin program “Roads to Victory”;
- creation of an online platform for the organization of so-called military-patriotic education programs for Russian youth;
- transfer of one children’s “health camp” to a year-round mode of operation.
Literally ISW: “The Kremlin’s Roads of Victory program aims to “instill patriotic feelings in modern children and youth” and offers free tours of Russian cultural and historical sites of “battle glory” for Russian children and youth.”
Details: At the same time, analysts remind that the Kremlin has already used military and sports training camps “Avangard” to militarize and indoctrinate Ukrainian youth with Russian cultural and historical narratives.
Experts add that the Russian Federation appears to be expanding its network of these and similar camps across Russia as part of its long-term military-building efforts.
The Kremlin is also preparing to expand and raise the status of other so-called military-patriotic youth organizations, such as “Unarmia” and “Movement of the First”, with the aim of militarizing Russian youth.
In addition, he uses his “Time of Heroes” program to appoint veterans of the war in Ukraine to government positions and militarize Russian society as a whole.
Putin has announced that the Kremlin will consider 2025 as the “Year of the Defender of the Fatherland”, indicating that he intends to focus Russia’s political and ideological priorities for 2025 on Russian veterans and the further militarization of Russian society.
Literally ISW: “The Kremlin likely intends to use these military-political organizations to encourage and raise the prestige of military service among Russian youth and society as it continues to plan its long-term military actions in Ukraine and possible future armed conflicts with Western countries.”
ISW key findings for 21 December:
- Putin continues to expand the network of programs for the so-called military-patriotic education of young people in Russia and occupied Ukraine on the eve of the “Year of the Defender of the Fatherland” announced by the Kremlin in 2025.
- Ukrainian troops carried out drone strikes on Russian Kazan on December 21.
- Russian troops advanced in the Kursk region and near Pokrovsk and Kurakhovo.
- Ukrainian troops returned the lost territory near Pokrovsk.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defense continues to boast of its efforts to create a military of unmanned systems after Putin’s official order to create a new type of combat weaponry.