Russia looks to students to make up for mounting losses in Ukraine
Russia is increasingly recruiting students from universities and technical colleges to serve in drone units for the war in Ukraine. Reports indicate that these young recruits, often with minimal military experience, are facing high casualty rates.
Why it matters
This highlights the human cost of the war and the desperate measures Russia is taking to sustain its military manpower.
Image source, VK/Kyakhtinsky District Image caption, Valery Averin is among the first Russian students known to have died in the war after being signed up in a recruitment drive in educational institutions
The focus on the tragic personal stories of recruits emphasizes the human cost of the conflict, which is a common framing in Western media coverage of the war.
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