Russia is actively recruiting university and vocational students to bolster its forces in Ukraine, particularly for its drone units, as the Kremlin seeks to sustain its war effort into its fifth year. This campaign, which began early in the year, targets students facing academic difficulties or considering a break from their studies, presenting drone operations as a more advanced and elite military role.
Valery Averin, a 23-year-old student at the Buryat Republican Technical School of Construction, was among the first known student casualties. His foster mother, Oksana Afanayeva, stated he had never served in the army before signing a military contract. Averin was killed by a mortar strike near Luhansk on April 8, just weeks after informing his foster mother he was being sent to an area with no phone signal. He had initially told her he was earning money at an online retailer.
Vladislav Gorbunov, 18, who studied railway construction and maintenance, died on April 6, four months after signing a contract. He was initially assigned to an infantry unit before being transferred to a drone operator role. Rakhim Abdullin, 18, enrolled in mining college to train as a welder but, after his studies faltered, signed a contract in January with the aim of becoming a drone operator, viewing it as a safer option. His mother, Elena, recounted that he was killed by March 13, stating that the role proved to be "not safe at all."
These three former students are part of a larger toll. BBC analysis of open-source data, including cemeteries, war memorials, and government registers, has verified the deaths of 230,407 Russian soldiers and officers. Military experts estimate the actual death toll to be significantly higher, potentially between 417,000 and 509,500, a figure consistent with estimates from the UK's GCHQ in May. Ukraine's losses are also substantial, with President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledging 55,000 deaths in February 2026 and a significant number of missing personnel.