---
title: "Masked as a Celebration: How Russia Uses 'Last Bells' to Recruit Drone Operators"
description: "'Last Bells' on occupied territories have turned into a trap for recruiting drone operators. Russian authorities isolated children from their parents to offer them a 'career' in the Russian army, continuing the systematic destruction of Ukrainian identity. 🚫🎓🇷🇺"
date: 2026-05-28T13:26:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russia-uses-last-bells-for-drone-recruitment
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Masked as a Celebration: How Russia Uses 'Last Bells' to Recruit Drone Operators

![A group of schoolchildren and young people standing in line at a school building, illustrating the theme of graduate recruitment on occupied territories](https://xab.info/media/2026/05/28/russia-uses-last-bells-for-drone-recruitment/school-leavers-queue.webp)

The traditional school holiday, symbolizing the end of childhood and the beginning of adult life, has turned into a covert recruitment drive on occupied territories. Instead of solemn speeches and flowers, Russian administrations have set a real trap for graduates, using the celebration as a pretext to select personnel for military units.

According to the National Resistance Center, Russian special services and the Ministry of Defense gained access to student lists even before the end of the academic year. These lists included teenagers who attended drone control circles or lessons in so-called "defense of the fatherland." These children became the main target for recruiters.

### Interviews Instead of Congratulations

Instead of congratulating graduates on finishing school, organizers conducted individual interviews with them. Schoolchildren were offered a "career as a UAV operator," free training in Russia, and various benefits when entering universities. The essence of the offer was simple: join the ranks of the Russian army even before receiving a certificate of graduation.

To increase psychological pressure on children, strict isolation was introduced. Parents were not allowed onto school grounds under the pretext of conducting "anti-terrorist operations." This allowed the occupation authorities to exert pressure on teenagers without witnesses and the possibility of family intervention.

### Systematic Destruction of Identity

The recruitment of graduates is just the tip of the iceberg. Russia uses the education system in temporarily occupied territories as a tool for preparing a mobilization reserve. The process of Russification has reached kindergartens, where mandatory Russian language lessons have been introduced in older groups to eradicate Ukrainian identity from an early age.

Parallel to ideological processing, a personnel purge is taking place. Due to the refusal of local teachers to cooperate with the occupiers, schools are being massively filled with teachers from Russian regions. They are settled in housing left by Ukrainians, ensuring full control over the educational process and the upbringing of the younger generation.