Children in Belarus spend more than half their time at school on topics such as war, death, and sacrifice. They play war games, go to patriotic camps, fly drones, and learn to shoot.
War games, drills, visits to military units, solemn oaths, flag-raising – Alexander Lukashenko’s regime is preparing children and youth for a "hot" war on the side of Russia. Such conclusions were reached by the authors of the report "Children Without a Future: Militarization of Childhood in Belarus".
"Survival Strategy of Lukashenko's Regime"
The militarization of children in Belarus is "a survival strategy for the regime", says the joint report of the organization of former security forces BELPOL and the People's Anti-Crisis Administration (NAO). According to the head of the NAO Pavel Latushko, after the 2020 protests in the country "systematic work on the formation of a new generation of loyal citizens" is beginning. In addition, Lukashenko's security structures faced personnel crises - youth refused to serve in repressive departments. Therefore, the regime decided to "purposefully educate future security forces".
In 2022, another reason appeared - Belarus' preparation for a possible entry into a "hot" war with Russia. The militarization of minors is an important part of this process, also described in the state "Program for Patriotic Education of the Population for 2022-2025".
The authors of the report note that more than half of school events today are related to topics such as war, death, and sacrifice. Visits by students to military units and law enforcement agencies have become regular, where children get acquainted with weapons and special means used by security forces.
Thousands of students participate in military exercises
Over 35,000 students take part in the so-called "War Games" every year, the authors of the report on the militarization of Belarusian youth also note. Children aged 9 to 10 take part in a game in which they are given the roles of "sappers", "medic" or "snipers". For children aged 11 to 14, there is another war game in which children learn to apply bandages and shoot.
For older children, there are even tank training sessions - for example, an attempt to present a case in which a tank runs over people sitting in trenches. Children undergo special training so that they are not afraid of the sounds of shots and explosions, nor of blood. In Belarus, military instructors have once again been appointed to every educational institution, most of whom are former representatives of the security forces. In 2024, the Ministry of Education purchased almost two hundred multimedia shooting ranges for secondary schools.
"Militarization is supported by a powerful ideological program. Textbooks are regularly rewritten on the political orders of the authorities. School administrations and education departments, in turn, are forced to systematically report to the prosecutor's office," the report by BELPOL and NAU notes.
Teenagers learn to fly drones
Military-patriotic classes have also been established in 220 Belarusian schools, in which about 4,000 children are trained. Another 1,800 teenagers study at nine military schools. Classes for drone pilots have been opened in several educational institutions, where children aged 12-17 learn to fly so-called FPV drones (from the English. First-person View - a drone transmitting with a live video camera), designed to destroy enemy equipment and manpower.
During the holidays, children go to military-patriotic camps. In 2023-2024, over 57,000 teenagers were trained in 736 camps. By the beginning of 2023, almost a thousand military-patriotic organizations were registered in the country, in which over 14,500 teenagers were members. The Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs alone has created about 300 clubs for 8,000 children, who are accepted there from the age of 11. One of the disciplines is shooting training.
Financing of military-patriotic education in Belarus is carried out from the state budget, but also from extra-budgetary sources such as funds and "voluntary-compulsory" sponsorship assistance from organizations and enterprises. Some of the funds come from the Presidential Sports Club, run by one of the sons of the Belarusian leader, Dmitry Lukashenko.
"Mass militarization undermines the education system"
Matvey Kupreychik of BELPOL believes that the authorities are achieving their goals by luring children with promises of easier entry into higher education institutions. The families of those children who have excelled in military training also receive financial incentives.
"Mass militarization undermines the education system, destroys the values of humanism and critical thinking, children grow up with a distorted perception of the world, where violence and subordination are considered the norm, and the cult of personality becomes central", says Pavel Latushko of the National Academy of Sciences.
According to the authors of the report, what is happening in Belarus is a violation of the country's international obligations to protect children's rights - freedom of belief and thought, protection of children from exploitation and propaganda, and involvement in hostilities. The two organizations plan to inform the international community about the use of children by the Lukashenko regime for ideological and military purposes.