That is according to the latest update by the UK’s Ministry of Defense, The Guardian reports.
The programme is supported by Russia’s Ministry of Defence, which states that no less than 140 hours per academic year should be devoted to this training.
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“This reprises a Soviet-era programme where students had mandatory military training, a programme which ended in 1993. This training included contingencies for a chemical or nuclear attack, first aid and experience handling and firing Kalashnikov rifles,” the UK MoD update reads.
As the British intelligence estimates, the step would not change the quality of russia’s army.
“Russian officials attempted to revive this training in 2014 following Russia’s invasion of Crimea. It was hoped that the initiative would improve the quality of conscripts. Eight years later, little has changed, and the quality of Russian conscripts remains poor, with low morale and limited training,” British intelligence notes.
It adds that this training likely intends to prepare students with military skills as they approach conscription age and to increase the take-up for mobilisation drives. The initiative is also likely to be part of “a wider project to instil an ideology of patriotism and trust in public institutions in the Russian population,” the UK’s MoD added.
As Defense Express reported earlier, The Majority of the russian PMC Wagner Personnel Acting in War Against Ukraine were Mercenaries from Among Former Prisoners.
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