Russia recruits students for drone units as war casualties rise

Russia’s war in Ukraine has incurred unprecedented losses, with a CSIS study estimating about 1.4 million Russian soldiers killed, wounded or missing and Ukrainian estimates of nearly 40,000 Russian deaths in June alone. The BBC has confirmed 230,407 Russian military fatalities, but analysts believe the true figure could be between 417,000 and 509,500.

To fill the gaps, the Kremlin launched a large‑scale recruitment drive early in 2026 targeting university, technical‑college and vocational‑school students. Recruits are offered one‑year contracts, high cash bonuses (up to about $57,000 or several million rubles), modern technical training and the promise of “relatively safe” service in newly created drone‑operator units. By February the Ministry of Defence had advertised the program at about 95 institutions; by April that number had grown to roughly 270.

Several recruited students have already been killed. Valery Averin, 23, was sent to the front after three months of drone training and died in an artillery strike near Luhansk. His adoptive mother said, “He studied drones for three months – and they still sent him into a frontal attack, into the meat grinder.” Similarly, 18‑year‑old Vladislav Gorbunov and Rakhim Abdullin, both former technical‑school students, were killed within months of signing contracts. At least 920 confirmed drone‑operator deaths have been recorded, and the total Russian military death toll continues to rise.

Human‑rights groups warn the contracts can be extended indefinitely, undermining the claim of a short‑term, safe posting. The recruitment of youths is seen as a pivotal shift in Russia’s war‑fighting strategy as it attempts to sustain its fifth year of combat.