Russian children are being groomed for the war in Ukraine

As we pass the 15-month mark of Russia’s war against Ukraine, it’s clear the Putin government is in a fix. It cannot win this war nor afford to lose or stop it. But with another mobilisation politically risky and tens of thousands of Russian citizens now fallen on the battlefield, it’s evident they will need all the volunteers they can lay their hands on.  

There is a problem facing the regime: the war itself is significantly less popular with the young in Russia than with the middle-aged and elderly. Over half the 55+ age-group in the country support the current war, while for 18- to 24-year-olds the figure falls to 26 per cent. This is why it’s crucial for the government to bring the young over to their side in ‘body and soul’ – indoctrinating them as well as providing military training. Indeed, an invisible front line now runs through the country’s schools and colleges, with millions of young Russians being prepared for the furnace of this abominable war.  

In some schools, where teachers are willing to push the military agenda, the memory of the ‘Great Patriotic War’ is used – and abused – to justify the current conflict.