Anti-war charity reports surge in Russian student deserters seeking help
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Anti-war charity Get Lost reports a surge in Russian students seeking help to desert the military, from a few cases to as many as 50 a month. Founder Grigory Sverdlin says students are now one of the largest groups among deserters the charity assists. Russia has intensified recruitment of students into drone units this year, with 269 institutions promoting such contracts.
Key Facts
- Get Lost founder Grigory Sverdlin says requests from students surged from a few cases to as many as 50 a month over the past six months.
- Student publication Groza identified 269 universities and colleges that promoted contracts for Russia's drone forces in April.
- Get Lost has more than 120 volunteers worldwide offering legal guidance, psychological help, and escape plans to Russians avoiding conscription or leaving the army.
- Arkady Moshes, director of the Russia programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, says the Kremlin will struggle to turn universities into a significant source of military recruits.
Student Recruitment Drive
Russia has intensified its campaign to recruit students at universities, technical colleges, and vocational schools into the military this year. Many students are being steered towards drone units, presented as a more technical and specialised form of service. In April, student publication Groza identified 269 universities and colleges that had promoted contracts for Russia's drone forces. Reports suggest students have been offered one-year contracts, as well as financial and academic incentives if they sign up.
Pressure and Coercion
Sverdlin said Get Lost had also received a growing number of requests from students who had not yet enlisted but were facing pressure from their institutions to do so, especially students struggling academically. He said many students are not being allowed to retake exams, which is against the law, and are told the only way forward is to sign a contract. Some young people do not understand what to do and cannot ask their parents for advice because their parents are pro-Putin, Sverdlin said. Russia's Defence Ministry has previously said recruitment is voluntary and that students will not be forced to enlist.
Expert Assessment
Arkady Moshes, director of the Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia research programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said the Kremlin would struggle to turn universities into a significant source of military recruits despite stepping up its efforts to target students. He said students with technical expertise were an attractive pool of recruits for roles such as drone operations. But young people and their families who had invested heavily in higher education had strong reasons to resist, Moshes said. To count on enthusiasm among these boys and girls is unrealistic, he added.
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Anti-war charity reports surge in Russian student deserters seeking help
