Russian authorities have systematically involved children in the design and testing of drones for the war in Ukraine, according to an investigation by the exiled Russian news outlet the Insider. Teenagers who take part in video games have been headhunted to work on technology used against Ukraine, with the most talented students recruited by defence companies.
The path begins with a video game called Berloga, launched in 2022, in which players defend against swarms of bees using drones. Success in the game can lead to extra school exam credits. Top players advance to competitions like Big Challenges, where promising pupils are headhunted by Russian firms, many under international sanctions for their roles in the defence industry.
The Insider spoke with three teenage finalists working on drone technology, who said they were aware of the military applications but were encouraged to hide them. “We were forbidden to say that it was needed for the war, and we invented civilian applications,” one said. “It’s an unwritten rule I’ve observed at every competition.”
Children are also involved in producing larger kamikaze drones. A documentary broadcast by Russia’s army television station showed teenagers helping to construct Geran-2 drones at a factory in Alabuga, Tatarstan, described as the world’s biggest maker of strike drones. The factory has invited 14- and 15-year-olds to study drone manufacturing and subsequently work there.
Employing children in military facilities violates international conventions. The Insider also reported that one teenager, aged 13, trained soldiers in drone operations inside a state facility in 2022. Independent journalism has essentially been outlawed in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
