The Russian education system has become “increasingly politicized, militarized, and ideologically driven” since the Kremlin launched the 2022 invasion of neighboring Ukraine, say British intelligence officials.
They said there is a “growing prevalence” of school material supporting the invasion, which Russia has called a Special Military Operation, along with Soviet-era literature, books attacking the West, and pro-military textbooks.
Citing independent Russian media outlets, U.K. intelligence officials said Russian authorities are reportedly ordering references to “Ukraine” to be removed from school textbooks.
“The Russian state highly likely seeks to use the education system to develop a more militarized, nationalistic society,” said Monday on X. “The intent is almost certainly to facilitate both a deeper support for Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, and greater willingness among the young to join a military suffering significant casualties.”
The Russian state education efforts also seek to indoctrinate Russia’s young into a rejection of the internationally recognized basis for Ukraine’s nationhood and sovereignty, U.K. officials said.
“It is likely that the politicization and militarization of Russian education, coupled with increasing ideological indoctrination of Russian children and young people more broadly, will perpetuate aggressive, expansionist Russian nationalism in the longer term,” officials said.
