Students at one of Russia’s leading engineering universities have been presented with a lucrative offer to pause their studies for a year to fly drones for the military. Those who accept can earn more than 5 million rubles, approximately $68,275, and receive free tuition upon their return.
This recruitment effort specifically targets a population that was once largely shielded from frontline recruitment. To entice enlistment, universities are promising various perks and guaranteeing that students will not be assigned to frontline duty.
The campaign underscores how the Kremlin is adapting its strategies to sustain the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has now entered its fifth year.