The Kremlin launched several programs aimed at introducing Russian schoolchildren to Russian combat drone production and operations, setting conditions to incorporate these children as experienced military drone manufacturers or operators in the future. Russian opposition outlet The Insider reported that the Russian Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) created a network of clubs and training platforms to introduce schoolchildren to drone technology and operations, setting conditions to train these students to design, manufacture, and operate Russian drones. Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the Berloga training program, which describes itself as a "cyber-physical gaming program," for Russian schoolchildren in July 2022, and the Russian government has supported the program by providing funding and incentives for children to participate in the program. The Insider reported that the Berloga program teaches children to operate virtual drones for logistics support and defend against virtual aerial targets — exposing young children to logistics operations and counter-drone warfare that Russian forces currently employ on the battlefield, long before these children could start formal military training. Berloga’s developers claimed that the program aims to ensure that participants, of whom the program claims there are over 600,000, will eventually transition into programming and assembling real drones. The Insider reported that Berloga program participants move on to the Kremlin-linked Sirius Educational Center, which incentivizes student participation with scholarships and job opportunities. The Insider reported that the participants' work directly contributes to solving actual problems of the Sirius Center's partners, over 80 percent of which have direct links to the Russian defense industrial base (DIB) and many of which are drone and space-oriented. The Insider reported that the children involved at the Sirius Center are likely aware of their efforts supporting military applications, but that the center has likely forbidden the students from discussing the military affiliations.

The Insider reported that the actors affiliated with the Berloga program also modified the Archipelago intensive program in 2023 to focus on teaching participants — including students over the age of 14 years — drone operations, including racing and launching drones, striking enemy targets, and conducting reconnaissance. The Insider reported that Berloga also cooperates with the Yunarmia-run youth military-patriotic game Zarnitsa 2.0 and created a special drone course for Zarnitsa 2.0 participants aged seven to 21 to learn basic quadcopter piloting skills. Zarnitsa 2.0's organizers claimed in April 2025 that over 240,000 students completed the drone program that Berloga developed for Zarnitsa 2.0.

Key Takeaways:

Russian Defense Industrial Base

• The Kremlin launched several programs aimed at introducing Russian schoolchildren to Russian combat drone production and operations, setting conditions to incorporate these children as experienced military drone manufacturers or operators in the future.

• Russia continues to use child and youth labor to produce drones at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the Republic of Tatarstan.

• Russia continues to scale up its drone production amid Russia's increasingly large nightly long-range strike packages against Ukraine.

• Russia may abolish taxes for some Russian drone manufacturers to incentivize drone production at scale.

Russian Technological Adaptations

• The Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) are continuing to introduce new optical navigation systems and machine learning (ML) capabilities to the Chernika-2 drone.

• Russian developers recently modernized the Russian Lancet loitering munition and Z-16 reconnaissance drones by integrating ML capabilities and increased flight range, but have yet to scale Lancet use on the battlefield.

• Russian forces reportedly tested a new Posokh laser air defense system against drone targets as part of Russia's efforts to develop new countermeasures against drones that are not susceptible to EW interference.

• Russian forces have reportedly been employing a new cluster warhead variant for the Kh-101 cruise missiles to strike Ukrainian cities since June 2024.

• Russian developers introduced a new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) for naval logistics named Briz.

Institute for the Study of War