Russia is doubling the share of military training in school curricula, with the program extending to schools in occupied Ukrainian territories.Starting Sept. 1, 2026 basic military training within the subject “Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland” will rise from the current 20% to 50% of teaching time for students in grades 6 through 11.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.According to the Eastern Human Rights Group on Facebook, the curriculum includes instruction on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and mandatory training camps.“The focus on children and youth has a fairly pragmatic goal – forming a future mobilization reserve, both in terms of skills and worldview,” the group said, adding that “in a controlled information environment, a child can be indoctrinated for years with a cult of war, military service, ‘heroic death,’ and unconditional service to the state.”Regional programs expandIn the occupied Donetsk region, Russian occupation authorities have approved a ten-year plan running through 2036, as part of a broader effort to normalize “military-patriotic education” and prepare children for future military service.In schools, basic drone operation is taught to pre-conscription and conscription-age youth, alongside engineering instruction and additional military training.In the occupied Kherson region, vocational students are being taught to operate, service and repair drones as part of their professional education, while in the occupied Luhansk region, children and teenagers are being drawn into Russian youth, cadet, party and so-called “volunteer” structures.