As the war in Ukraine drags on, Russia is ramping up recruitment of a drone unit targeting college students to secure manpower.
On the 13th, the New York Times (NYT) reported that Russia is stepping up enlistment promotions targeting college students as a strategy to secure troops without an additional mobilization order. Critics say the government is effectively expanding the scope of wartime mobilization to students by offering extraordinary terms, from guaranteed readmission for those expelled to high pay and tuition waivers.
Previously, since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia used various methods such as a partial mobilization order, recruiting mercenaries and prisoners, and paying high signing bonuses, but it has struggled to secure sufficient troops. On the 11th of last month, the Federation Council passed a bill excluding foreigners with prior service in Russia's military from deportation and imposing forced labor, which analysts also viewed as part of efforts to secure manpower.
Backed into a corner, Russian authorities now appear to be broadening recruitment to the college student population, which they had not actively targeted. Recruitment is centered on universities nationwide, and since February this year, briefings have been held at at least 269 universities across Russia. Some universities have effectively forced attendance at briefings or taken pressure tactics such as separately summoning students with poor grades.
Students facing expulsion due to poor grades are becoming key recruitment targets. A university official in Kazan pressured low-performing students by saying, "Those who are no longer students will form a new army," while at Siberian universities, there were cases where male students were required to attend briefings and their attendance was checked.
Military authorities are persuading students by highlighting drone units as relatively safe posts and touting high pay and opportunities to learn advanced technology. Recruiters are reportedly instructed to emphasize the high pay and low risk of drone units, but critics say the message that they can "return after one year of service" is at odds with reality, as drone operators are also often exposed to the battlefield and military contracts are effectively open-ended.
Earlier, Russia also moved to reorganize to strengthen its drone force. In November last year, authorities created the separate service branch "unmanned systems forces" and aim to double its manpower to 165,500 by the end of this year. The step follows drones emerging as a core asset on the Ukrainian battlefield and becoming a decisive factor in the course of the war. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov also said, "We are focusing on training and strengthening the organizational capacity of drone units."
On the ground, economic incentives are reportedly being emphasized. Enlisting in a drone unit cannot substitute for mandatory service, but it offers higher pay and the chance to acquire in-demand technical skills. A student at a St. Petersburg university who took a leave of absence and was later expelled said, "I was offered 6.52 million rubles (about 130 million won), including free tuition after one year of service, dormitory housing, and guaranteed admission to a master's program." That is about 4.5 times the average wage in St. Petersburg.
Still, students' concerns are mounting on campuses. At major universities such as the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, there have been cases of students advised to enlist for poor grades opting to transfer instead, and a mood of discontent is growing over drone-related events and promotions.
Experts say the recruitment of college students is an indirect strategy by authorities to avoid resuming a large-scale mobilization like in 2022. In September 2022, Russia issued a partial mobilization order for reservists and drafted 300,000 people, forcing them to serve until President Vladimir Putin decided otherwise. At the time, numerous Russian men sought refugee status abroad to avoid conscription.
Artem Kliuga, a lawyer with the nonprofit "Conscientious Objectors' Movement," said, "Authorities have introduced enlistment bonuses, created a mobilization reserve, and now are recruiting students," adding, "It appears they are considering every measure to avoid a mobilization order."