“If you join the elite unmanned troops, you will come back popular!” How universities massively lure students into contract service

According to open sources, the deaths of more than 200 thousand Russian military personnel have been confirmed in Ukraine, and the influx of new contract soldiers by the beginning of the fifth year of the war had noticeably decreased . There are clearly not enough people at the front, and the Ministry of Defense has launched a campaign to recruit students into the Russian army. It was deployed in more than 80 universities across the country. Students are lured to serve in unmanned troops with promises of large payments, the closure of diplomas and transfer to the budget. Some educational institutions talk about the advantages of the “new specialty,” while others threaten expulsion for refusal and do not allow debtors to take exams, persuading them to sign a contract. The Insider spoke with students, teachers and lawyers about how universities prey on students and whether it is possible to protect themselves from pressure and recruitment.

Content

• “The university is simply providing information”

• “A unique opportunity from the Ministry of Good”

• Mass agitation

• What to do and why it is almost impossible to prove blood pressure

Available in English

“Become part of the team of the future” - under this slogan the Vladimir branch of RANEPA advertises to students a new “promising” opportunity for self-realization. On the official website of the university, students are offered to master the profession of a UAV operator - “one of the most sought-after specialties in modern armed forces.” It is separately emphasized: recent schoolchildren are promised service exclusively in unmanned aircraft units and “at a distance from the combat line.”

The wording is reminiscent of a presentation of an additional education program, but in reality we are talking about signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense. However, RANEPA is only one of dozens of universities and colleges that have integrated the recruitment of students for the Russian army into the usual educational environment. Propaganda occurs through official websites, mailing lists, banners in student applications, meetings in assembly halls and personal “conversations.”

Screenshot from the website of the RANEPA branch in Vladimir

“The university is simply providing information”

Thus, at the Siberian Federal University (Krasnoyarsk) they explain that “young people are most predisposed to operating UAVs, since “since childhood they have been fond of mobile phones and computer games,” and at the Russian University of Transport (RUT MIIT) they emphasize social benefits, including further education: they promise academic leave for the duration of the contract and the possibility of transfer to the “budget” after service.

“You play computers, what’s stopping you from becoming a UAV operator?” — that’s what they said at our meeting,” Ivan (name changed for security reasons), a student at the College of Space Engineering and Technology at the A. A. Leonov University, located in Korolev near Moscow, tells The Insider. According to him, the appearance of the agitators was unexpected: all groups were urgently gathered for a “lecture.”

“During the class, the teacher said that advertisers were coming and warned: if someone leaves, they will have to write an explanatory note. All groups had this situation - everyone was threatened with explanations, non-appearances and failures. All in all, a classic,” he says.

Promotional brochures for service in unmanned troops at the College of Space Engineering and Technology at the A. A. Leonov University

According to Ivan, the attitude of teachers towards holding such a “meeting” was ambiguous. “Some openly said they didn’t like it, but they led the students anyway after explaining the situation to them,” he recalls.

According to Ivan, tension between students and the administration arose even before this “lecture.” Previously, young people created a Telegram channel where they criticized the college management: they wrote about bullying, the rudeness of teachers, problems with infrastructure and opposed the installation of the Max messenger. In the same channel, students wrote about the forced nature of the meeting with “advertisers.”

The young people, who, according to the administration, were the admins of the channel, were summoned to a disciplinary commission. It was attended by college director Elena Antropova, student council chairman Andrei Morusak, first deputy director of the branch Nikolai Kruglov and several other employees.

“You say it’s bad in college, bad at university. And you advertise it to the whole country. All your posts that you write to 98 people spill over into other chats and groups, where there are already more than 200 thousand people. Especially the post about unmanned troops. The university is simply providing information. If you were at the meeting, you would know this. But you write that you are forced and forced to go to these meetings,” said the commission members.

Meanwhile, at the A. A. Leonov Technological University itself (at which the aforementioned college operates), at similar meetings, serving as a UAV operator is described as an opportunity to gain “applied skills”: from repairing unmanned systems to 3D modeling. Students are given booklets with the slogan that signing a contract is “an opportunity to become a hero in real life.”

Similar materials are distributed in other universities. At MSTU. N. E. Bauman, for example, a banner with an offer to join unmanned units appears right when entering the student application. And at St. Petersburg State University they went even further: the administration sent letters to students with an offer to sign a contract and promised a “special scholarship” from the university - 50 thousand rubles monthly.

In parallel, other educational institutions publish calculations of expected payments ( 1 , 2 ). The presentations include an amount from 2 to 6 million rubles for the first year of service (apparently, taking into account federal and regional allowances). Financial benefits are presented alongside promises of “safe specialization” and “guaranteed” contract termination after a year.

“A unique opportunity from the Ministry of Good”

Recruitment and pressure in colleges is more active than in universities. Thus, the director of the Novosibirsk College of Transport Technologies named after Lunin, Maria Kirsanova, publicly reprimanded students for refusing to sign a contract. In exchange for it, as students were hinted, they could quickly receive a diploma.

But at Moscow Medical College No. 2, students were not reprimanded; on the contrary, they were told about the many benefits that an “innovative” profession promises. The contract was called a “ticket to life” and the payment amounts were immediately announced.

Artyom (name changed for security reasons), a teacher at one of the colleges at the G. V. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told The Insider about what such meetings look like from the inside. According to him, in early February 2026, employees were sent information about the recruitment of contract workers, and then students and teachers were told to gather in the hall.

“We were told approximately how many people there should be from each group, and they warned us not to ask unnecessary questions - it’s clear what questions. The audience was full - about a hundred people,” he says.

Speakers included one of the provosts, an active military member and representatives of the college administration. From the very beginning, speakers emphasized that this was “not about a contract, but about an agreement.”

In their college, according to the interlocutor, they relied not on pressure, but on a demonstrably positive presentation - as if not the Ministry of Defense, but the “Ministry of Good” was offering students a unique opportunity. “There was a maximum of positive pictures - a minimum of direct threats,” says Artem. “And the vice-rector of the Russian University of Economics is no fool either: he tried to avoid provocative words and spoke clearly from a piece of paper.”

The vice-rector of REU is also no fool: he tried to avoid provocative words and spoke clearly from a piece of paper

Students were offered a whole range of incentives: large payments - up to 5 million for signing a contract and monthly enrollment, early graduation, enrollment in the first year of university, combat veteran status and career prospects.

“They said: you will be the first to join the elite unmanned troops. You will come back popular,” the teacher recalls.

They separately emphasized that the actual service would be less than a year: two months would be spent on training, another 35 days on vacation. The initial emphasis was not on combat missions and controlling drones, but on repairing equipment. “A million pieces of equipment are lying around, there is no one to fix them, and you are smart graduates,” Artem retells the arguments of the speakers. The contract was presented as an opportunity not only to “defend the homeland,” but also to acquire a new specialty.

After the general meeting, interested students were spoken to individually.

“During a personal discussion, there were more details - and more noodles were hung on our ears. There was a conversation about the possibility of a loan of up to 10 million rubles with subsequent forgiveness. That is, they directly said that now they can collect loans, and the contract will write them off. They talked about safety and promised that throughout the entire service, students would be accompanied 24/7 by a curator from the university and that they could serve together with their own people - those who signed a contract from your educational institution,” says Artem and asks the question: “But how are they going to control this?”

Advertising service in unmanned troops on the Plekhanov REU website

Moreover, in the annex to the contract there is a clause about the possibility of transfer to another branch of the military in case of non-compliance with the requirements. “But they didn’t talk about this at the general meeting,” adds Artem.

According to him, about 70 people signed the contract. “I don’t know if this is just from our educational institution or from all the educational institutions - REU has many colleges. And if only from ours, then this is approximately 5–10% of 3rd–4th year students. And if from all of them, then no more than 1%,” he clarifies.

All this is happening against the backdrop of the launch at REU. G.V. Plekhanov retraining program “Operator of a multi-rotor unmanned aircraft”, where students are taught how to operate drones, and mandatory courses, which, according to the teacher, all college students are forced to take.

“There are tests and practical assignments, depending on the course. The student completes them, and his session is closed. The administration very persistently asked me to go through all this,” he says.

According to the teacher, the assignments themselves are rather formal in nature, but attendance at the courses is strictly controlled. Novikov suggests that in this way the administration is trying to cover up the indicators: “They need to report how many people came to these courses. Looks like money laundering. Sometimes students from other universities also come to classes. But even for REU students they are not free,” he says.

Mass agitation

The first mass reports of students campaigning to serve in the unmanned systems troops appeared immediately after the New Year holidays.

“Since mid-January, we started receiving appeals from students,” says human rights activist Timur Tukhvatullin. — In some universities they limited themselves to persistent offers, in others - threats of expulsion in case of refusal. At first, they were mainly interested in technical students with academic debts. Now they don’t have a systematic logic for who to recruit.”

Since February, the practice has become widespread. According to the head of the legal department of the Conscious Objector Movement, Artem Klyga, a key role in this was played by the Ministry of Defense manual sent to the leadership of universities:

“According to my information, this manual was sent to all organizations, that is, it was a mass mailing. We cannot yet say whether there is a specific “plan” for supplying contract students to all universities. For example, they wrote to me from the Plekhanov University of Economics that the prefects were assigned to find two students a week. So far this looks like an order, not systematic work.”

Recruitment quotas have already been established in several universities. Thus, at the Far Eastern Federal University (Vladivostok) they planned to recruit 32 people by the end of February, and at the Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University - 109 students by April 2026 . Timur Tukhvatullin notes that there are specific figures “coming down from above” both at the regional level and at the university level.

Maxim (name changed for security reasons), a college student at the Peter the Great Polytechnic University in St. Petersburg, says that he recently saw brochures on the walls of his educational institution promoting service in unmanned troops.

“It was a shock for me, because usually we didn’t campaign for anything and called what was happening by its proper name, although without any opposition views. But they didn’t call for anything,” he says.

Propaganda brochures in the college at Peter the Great Polytechnic University

According to Maxim, there were students at the college who signed the contract. “My classmate signed it. Despite all the promises, he even decided to drop out. I don't know what's wrong with him. Looks like he's alive."

Their college tries not to openly discuss what is happening, and most students are either neutral or negative about recruitment. But sometimes it comes to sad oddities. “Friends of a guy from another group decided to make fun of him and left his number on the Ministry of Defense website - supposedly he wants to sign a contract. Now they are actively calling him and asking when he will sign. But he wanted to finish his studies quietly, and now both the military and teachers are closely watching him,” adds Maxim.

Students with academic debts find themselves in the most vulnerable position. The Higher School of Economics is especially active: they began offering to sign a contract instead of expulsion at the end of January. In some universities, contrary to the law, students are prohibited from retaking exams and are asked to immediately leave for service. The same thing, according to Timur Tikhvatullin, happened at the Kazan Innovation University (KIU) and Voronezh State University (VSU).

Those who do not have a deferment after college are also at risk. Arkady (name changed for security reasons), a student at one of the St. Petersburg universities, told The Insider that he was told to come to the dean’s office precisely for this reason:

“On February 10, they called everyone whose deferment was ending, as well as those who had already served or were unfit. The headman sent the list during the couple's time. When we arrived, we were told to come the next day to a specific classroom at a specific time. And the very next day, campaigning began there.

They told us: “If you sign, you won’t just spend a year, but you’ll earn money defending your homeland.” They promised that everything would be fine and safe, that we would be at a distance from a direct military conflict - from 10 to 350 km.”

Students filled out forms right in the corridor, after which each one was called into the classroom.

“The questionnaire included a question about consent to join the ranks of the RF Armed Forces. If you answer “no,” you need to explain the reason and indicate under what conditions you could agree,” explains Arkady.

According to him, there was no special pressure, but they demanded to explain the refusal: “For another two weeks they called me from unknown numbers and asked if I was interested in the contract service.” None of his acquaintances succumbed to the campaign.

“They come to recruit students using the same training manual: the same promises, the same guarantees. But most understand the risks. In universities, this practice may not be as successful as the Ministry of Defense expects. People go to study to get an education and a deferment from the army, not a contract,” sums up Artem Klyga.

Timur Tukhvatullin also agrees with him. According to him, despite the pressure and systematic distribution of manuals, there is no mass enthusiasm among students:

“The vast majority of students are not interested in the military service that is offered to them at the university. Students are going to pay off their debts as usual, some are ready for possible expulsion, but the level of mistrust in such agitation is indeed very high. The state, unfortunately, understands this, so recruitment is becoming increasingly tough.”

According to data collected from open sources and according to estimates by human rights activists, such campaigns are currently known in at least 83 universities and 24 colleges and technical schools in 36 regions of Russia, including annexed Crimea. The actual numbers may be significantly higher.

What to do and why it is almost impossible to prove blood pressure

Despite the scale of the campaign, it will not be easy to legally prove pressure on students, says Artem Klyga.

According to him, the situation is reminiscent of the wave of expulsions in 2022 for an anti-war position: formally, the reason then was academic debt, but in fact - political views. “Therefore, it is better to prevent such situations and not fall into vulnerable groups - for example, do not accumulate debts,” he notes.

It is academic debt that most often becomes a point of pressure: the student may be hinted that retaking is useless, but the problems, they say, will disappear if they sign the contract. Formally it looks like a learning process, informally it looks like a tool of coercion.

It is academic debt that most often becomes a point of pressure: the student may be hinted that retaking is useless

Timur Tukhvatullin advises in such cases to record any pressure from the administration. “You can use a voice recorder, or you can submit applications. If a student is threatened that they will not be given an attempt to retake until he signs the contract, it is worth filing an application addressed to the rector with a demand to ensure a legal retake and describe on what basis he is verbally denied,” he explains.

Even if the pressure is framed as a “conversation” or “an invitation to think,” written documentation changes the situation: it is more difficult for the university to deny what is happening.

If the contract has already been signed, room for maneuver remains, but it is limited. Human rights activists advise contacting specialized organizations - “Conscript School”, “DSO”, “Go Through the Forest” - which help protect the rights of conscripts and military personnel.

At the same time, Tukhvatullin warns, it is usually difficult to terminate a contract, especially in conditions when Putin’s decree on mobilization actually continues to apply. “I would not recommend signing any documents under pressure. You can say that you need time to think about the decision. There is a possibility that the administration will eventually stop the pressure,” he says.

The Conscious Objector Movement also published a separate manual that addresses the key issues of the campaign: whether the contract guarantees service in the unmanned systems troops, whether it is possible to refuse a transfer to another branch of the military, and whether it will be possible to return to study after service.

Against the backdrop of promises of “safe service” and “innovative profession”, it is these questions - about the right to refuse and the price of a signature - that turn out to be the most important.

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