Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Russia Enlists Children in Military Drone Design and Production

An Insider investigation together with Zvezda TV footage reveals minors involved in UAV component design, testing, manufacturing at the Alabuga factory under state educational incentives.

Image
Trucks carrying Geran-2 drones are shown during a Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9. The Russian army's TV channel recently aired footage of what it said was a factory with finished Geran-2 drones shown inside.
Image
Image

Overview

  • The recruitment pipeline began in 2022 with Berloga, a state-backed video game offering exam credits to top performers.
  • High-achieving players advance to the Big Challenges contest, where Russian defence firms identify and recruit teenage tech talent.
  • Participants report they were instructed to mask wartime applications by inventing civilian uses for their drone projects.
  • A Zvezda TV documentary showed 14- and 15-year-olds studying drone manufacturing at an Alabuga college before joining factory production of Geran-2 kamikaze drones.
  • Employing minors in combat-related programs violates international conventions and has led to sanctions against Russian defence entities.