Russia organizes training camps for teenagers, promoting pro-war influencers from Ukraine. The goal is to spread Kremlin values among the youth.

Russia is intensifying efforts to promote a new generation of pro-war influencers by organizing training camps for teenagers, aimed at spreading the Kremlin's hardline and anti-Western stance. Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has restricted criticism of its military offensive and modified school programs to integrate the official justifications for the invasion. Over 120 teenagers gathered at a camp in Moscow, where they attended courses on creating online content, supported by military personnel and state media journalists. Vladislav Golovine, the leader of the 'Army of Youth' movement, stated that the goal is to disseminate the values of the state. This initiative aligns with the Kremlin's strategy to restore the prestige of the Russian army, considering that the youth of this generation have grown up under the influence of Putinism. President Vladimir Putin has emphasized the importance of patriotic education, and youth organizations inherited from the Soviet era play a central role in this campaign. Social media algorithms facilitate the spread of the Kremlin's narrative, and impressionable youth become targets for recruitment.