Russians lured into joining the army with promises of free education at top university

Moscow's National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), considered one of Russia's most prestigious universities, has launched a recruitment programme to lure Russians into the ranks of the occupying army, offering fully funded tuition for those who sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Source: independent Amsterdam-based news outlet The Moscow Times

Details: Within the framework of the Service + Education programme, the university promises to fund the studies of 100 individuals who agree to enlist in the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) or the BARS-Moscow volunteer unit, which carries out air defence tasks for the Russian capital.

Quote: "HSE asserts that individuals will have to serve for 'exactly one year' and the person is 'guaranteed' discharge from service upon completion of this term, although Russian leader Vladimir Putin's decree provides for the automatic extension of contracts during mobilisation. The university also claims that upon joining the USF, military service will be carried out in units located 'far from the front line'. Meanwhile, BARS-Moscow volunteers are being promised they will not be sent 'to the active combat operations zone'."

Details: Professional soldiers will only be able to start their undergraduate, specialist, or master's degree studies after returning from the army and it will be funded from the university's own funds.

Background:

• In November 2025, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced the creation of the USF. Hundreds of educational institutions were immediately involved in the recruitment campaign, including 47 of the country's leading universities, whose management was ordered to recruit at least 2% of students into military service.
• The Russian military leadership had expected to recruit nearly 80,000 people from among university and college students into the unmanned systems forces by the end of 2026. However, the plan failed: in the first six months of the year, only 8,000 recruits were enlisted. In the Conflict Intelligence Team analytical group, it was noted that Russian students are refusing to sign contracts en masse due to well-founded fears of ending up in infantry assault units and serving indefinitely.
• The failure of the recruitment drive was also acknowledged by Russian pro-war propagandists. For instance, pro-war blogger Aleksandr Vaskovsky complained that army contracts were only being signed by "underperforming students facing expulsion". Another pro-war commentator Aleksei Chadaev complained that those volunteering for service were "a rather specific contingent, those least suitable to become the backbone of a new high-tech branch of the military".

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