Russian teens are helping build kamikaze drones used against Ukraine, part of a government pipeline that recruits students as young as 13 into military drone design and production, according to reporting by The Insider and state-run Zvezda TV. The effort begins with gamified engineering contests and ends with top students working inside defense-linked facilities, including one described by officials as the world’s largest drone factory.
How do Russian teens end up building drones?
It often starts with Berloga, a government-sponsored video game launched in 2022, where players control “intelligent bears” to fend off enemies using drones. Winning players earn academic credit and spots in national competitions like “Big Challenges.”
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According to The Insider, students who excel are recruited by defense contractors, including companies under international sanctions, to work on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components.
Teen participants said they were told to frame their projects as civilian, even when they knew the military purpose. One student described this as an “unwritten rule” at every competition.
What happens at the Alabuga drone plant?
The Alabuga facility in Russia’s Tatarstan region is a centerpiece of Moscow’s drone strategy. The plant assembles the Geran-2, a Russian copy of Iran’s Shahed kamikaze drone, which can fly nearly 1,000 miles. These drones are regularly used in strikes deep inside Ukrainian territory.
Zvezda TV aired footage showing teens, some as young as 14, assembling Geran-2s at the plant, which it described as the largest drone factory in the world. Students are reportedly enrolled at a nearby college with the goal of full-time factory work after graduation.
Factory director Timur Shagivaleyev claimed the site has produced several thousand drones, far exceeding original targets. The complex includes a test range and operates in a special economic zone created by the Russian government.
Involving minors in military manufacturing, especially at facilities that may be wartime targets, violates several international agreements. The U.N. and rights groups have also condemned Russia’s drone use, saying it has repeatedly struck civilian infrastructure in places like Kyiv and Kherson.
