International

Students in Russia will learn how to use combat drones. UK: "An effort to cultivate militarised patriotism"

Starting in the new school year, students in the Russian Federation will learn how to operate combat drones as part of the "Fundamentals of Life Safety" programme. This comes as unmanned aerial vehicles have played a vital and devastating role in the war in Ukraine, Euronews reports.

The Russian defence ministry has already approved the plans and they are due to be implemented from the first of September. Officials at the institution said the program will include basic operating information and methods of countering enemy weapons, including UAVs.

Drones have been used to identify and attack enemy positions in the war in Ukraine.

Both sides have used air strikes on military and civilian targets.

The list of drones used in combat is extensive. It now includes the Turkish Bayraktar TB2, the American Switchblade 300 and 600 and the Iranian Shahed 136.

The UK Ministry of Defence has called the programme an effort to impose "militarised patriotism".

"Russia's renewed emphasis on military induction for children is largely an effort to cultivate a culture of militarised patriotism rather than to develop a genuine capability," reads a statement.

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