‘They’ll be ready’ Russia opens drone training school for children in southern Krasnodar region
The Russian city of Krasnodar has opened the country’s first extracurricular school dedicated to teaching teenagers drone assembly and piloting, Mayor Yevgeny Naumov announced on September 26.
The new school, called Dobro i Nebo (“Kindness and Sky”), receives funding from the Krasnodar Governor’s Office and offers free instruction in drone building, piloting, and 3D printing. “Students will train on real drones and simulators,” Naumov said. “They’ll gain hands-on, in-demand experience while still in school. The instructors include experienced trainers and participants in the ‘special military operation.’”
School director Anna Potynga dismissed accusations that the program is aimed at militarizing youth. “Drone piloting skills are valuable in civilian life,” she said in an interview. “Of course, defending the Motherland is important, but we would still prefer these children use their skills peacefully. If it ever becomes necessary, though, as the saying goes, they’ll be ready.”
The program is open to students aged 14–18 and will last about eight months. According to Potynga, participants will also be shown Ukrainian drones described as “trophies” that were “brought back from the front by our guys.”
