Key facts
- Russia is recruiting students for its drone units.
- These roles are presented as technical and safer than frontline combat.
- Early reports indicate significant student casualties in these units.
- Valery Averin is named as a student casualty.
- Russia's largest job board, HeadHunter, is advertising for drone operators.
- The advertised role is for a volunteer unit defending Moscow's airspace.
- The position requires basic technical skills.
- The starting salary offered is 150,000 roubles per month.
Russia is actively recruiting students from universities and colleges to join its drone forces. These positions are being presented as technical roles and a safer alternative to direct combat on the front lines in Ukraine. However, early reports indicate that these roles are proving to be perilous, with significant student casualties occurring. One such casualty mentioned is Valery Averin, whose death underscores the dangerous reality faced by individuals in these drone units.