At Least 40 Russian Educational Institutions Involve Students in Drone and Munitions Production — Investigation

In Russia, students at at least 40 civilian educational institutions are being involved in the production of strike drones, components for munitions, and other military equipment.

The Vot Tak news outlet carried out the investigation.

Journalists found that 33 universities, five colleges, and two technical schools are involved in this activity. They also participate in developing dual-use technologies and training personnel for the defence industry.

Participants of these programs are not only future engineers but also students studying law, political science, education, and agriculture. Some work for free, while others receive salaries and stipends from defence companies.

For example, since January 2025, students at Nazarovo technical school in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Krai have been assembling FPV drones that are later handed over to the Russian army for use in the war against Ukraine.

One student told journalists that he learned to assemble a drone in about half an hour. According to him, nine such drones were sent to the military in September 2026. Instead of monetary compensation, participants receive good grades and are allowed to skip classes.

Another area of cooperation involves educational institutions working with the Russian organization People’s Front, which provides students with 3D printers, materials, and orders from the military. The organization works with at least 11 educational institutions.

Students manufacture tail units and other munition components, as well as devices for dropping grenades from drones.

For example, by March 2026, Volga State University of Technology had manufactured and shipped to the Russian military 2,500 sets of tail units and firing pins for VOG-17 grenade launcher rounds.

Student Design Bureaus

Participants of student design bureaus are also taking part in drone production. For example, Pacific National University in Khabarovsk has a bureau called PolytechProm, whose members include students majoring in engineering, law, and social and political sciences.

Members of the bureau develop kamikaze drones, deliver prototypes to the Russian military, and improve them based on feedback from the front line.

Meanwhile, Russia runs the Rostec Wings program, under which students work at enterprises of the state-owned Rostec corporation from their first year of study. They receive salaries and corporate scholarships ranging from 30,000 to 55,000 rubles.

In 2026, the Kalashnikov Concern, which manufactures small arms and drones for the Russian army, joined the program.

In addition to university students, schoolchildren in Russia are also being involved in learning drone technologies. In Krasnoyarsk Krai, a free six-month UAV operator training program has been introduced for ninth-graders who failed their state exams, with 47 places allocated across three colleges.