In 2025, the authorities spent a record 819 million rubles to attract children to Yunarmiya.

Compared to last year, they have more than tripled

State spending on military-patriotic events to attract children to the Yunarmiya movement has reached a five-year record, Vorstka found out after analyzing the draft law on the implementation of the federal budget for 2025 and previously adopted laws.

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Actual expenditures for these purposes in 2025 amounted to 818.9 million rubles. In 2024, this budget item amounted to 270 million rubles, in 2023 - also 270 million rubles, in 2022 - 302.2 million rubles, in 2021 - 197.7 million.

For earlier dates, such a line of budget expenditures is missing, despite the existence of Yunarmiya since 2016. However, in these years there are expenses for carrying out events to promote the patriotic education of citizens, and expenses for the work of the movement may be included there.

In addition to these expenses, during the same years, Yunarmiya received subsidies from the Ministry of Defense for its activities. They ranged from 143 million to 257 million annually.

The Yunarmiya claims that more than 2 million people are in the movement

“Youth Army” is engaged in the so-called “patriotic education” of children. If on the eve of the war it was reported that more than 1 million people were in the movement, now on the organization’s website they already write about “more than 2 million people.”

The movement participates in propaganda school events (such as “ Lessons in Courage ”) and conducts specialized sessions in children’s camps. There, for example, they teach the “Young Fighter Course” and classes in maritime, tourist and aviation training.

One of the largest events of the Yunarmiya is the military-patriotic game “ Zarnitsa 2.0 ”. Within its framework, for children in different regions, starting from the age of 7 (and ending with adults 23 years old), competitions in conditionally military specialties are provided: competitions for signalmen, UUV operators, commanders, military officers, attack aircraft, doctors, engineers, sappers, radiation, chemical and biological protection specialists.

Children compete in camouflage positions, fire and tactical training, tactical medicine, survival in extreme conditions, and so on. Children should also know “the basics of Russian statehood and military history.” The competition program includes garrison service, combined march, military-tactical terrain game and “final battle”, “designed to meet modern challenges.” To do this, minors are divided into squads and assigned military specialties among themselves.

Photo: Participants of the Yunarmiya movement at the parade in honor of Victory Day in 2025. "Youth Army"

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