There has been a significant increase in the number of russian nurseries offering military cadet programmes for children since russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with over 100 kindergartens across russia subsequently starting courses in military training, according to russian media outlet Verstka, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Pre-school children are reportedly taught to march, practice hand-to-hand combat "in a playful manner, handle firearms, and meet with participants of the special military operation" (illegal invasion of Ukraine). The courses are reportedly designed to promote patriotism, awareness of military basics and serve as "early career guidance".
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Open source reporting indicates that in some cities cadet groups have been associated with particular armed services such as police or border guard. Some are connected to russia's Ministry of Defense youth organisation Yunarmiya and the Kremlin youth organisation Movement of the First.
Cadet groups in kindergartens also reportedly form part of plans for a law on cadet education, currently under development.
The reported increase in military cadet programmes in russian nurseries forms part of the highly likely continuing militarisation of russian education. It is likely that the politicization and militarization of russian education, coupled with increasing ideological indoctrination of russian children more broadly, will perpetuate aggressive, expansionist russian nationalism in the longer term.
As Defense Express previously reported, on October 16, 2025, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that Democratic People's Republic of Korea soldiers within russia's Kursk region are coordinating reconnaissance for, and enabling, russian strikes into Ukraine.
This is the first time DPRK troops have been reported as directly supporting or facilitating russian offensive operations into sovereign Ukrainian territory.
Read more: UK Defense Intelligence Reveals North Korean Forces Assist russia in Strikes on Ukraine
