How Putin is preparing children to ‘die for the motherland’ | Ian Garner

Russia is turbocharging its indoctrination of young people, using games and influencers to draw them into a militarised Youth Army

It might seem that Russia's government has lost the support of its young for good. Western media cover stories of young Russians fleeing conscription and attacking military recruiters. And the handful of reliable surveys of Russian public opinion suggest that, while approval for the special military operation" and Putin remains high overall, young Russians are less likely than their elders to voice their support.

But the regime is also turbocharging indoctrination efforts aimed at its youngest subjects. This includes well-worn tactics such as closing off social media and online dissent, and rolling out propaganda lessons in schools. But its most effective tool may be a myriad of new youth groups that introduce children to the Russian state's world of constant war with a dazzling barrage of social media infotainment.

Ian Garner is a historian of Russian war culture. He is the author of the forthcoming book Z Generation: Into the Heart of Russia's Fascist Youth