Kathrine Frich
Attention has often focused on Russia’s battlefield tactics and weapons.
Less visible, but no less significant, are the systems shaping those who may one day fight.
Military experts say these efforts are long-term, deliberate and deeply embedded in society.
One Latvian officer now argues they pose a serious danger beyond Russia’s borders.
A dangerous structure
Russia has spent years building a militarised youth movement known as “Putin’s New Army,” according to National Armed Forces Major and National Guard staff officer Jānis Slaidiņš.
Speaking on the TV24 programme Current Affairs on the War in Ukraine, Slaidiņš described the organisation, Yunarmiya, as a Kremlin-backed system designed to indoctrinate children.
He specified that this included children living in occupied Ukrainian territories.
“Putin’s New Army is aimed at turning children into mankurts, mindless slaves”, he said.
Scale and reach
Slaidiņš said the movement operates across all regions of Russia and has grown rapidly in size and influence.
As of December last year, more than 120,000 young members of Yunarmiya had already taken part in the war against Ukraine, according to his assessment.
He added that the organisation’s total membership now exceeds 1.8 million.
He described the structure as widespread, well-organised and closely aligned with the Russian state, making it a powerful tool for shaping future generations.
Not like youth guards
Slaidiņš acknowledged that youth organisations linked to national defence also exist in Latvia and other countries, but said the comparison ends there.
“Our task is to raise patriotic young people, but in the case of Russia, there is a very strong emphasis on the greatness of the USSR, ‘liberation,’ and military thinking,” he said.
According to Slaidiņš, Russian programmes focus less on civic responsibility and more on glorifying war and past imperial narratives.
Path to the army
The Latvian officer warned that Yunarmiya functions as a direct pipeline into Russia’s armed forces.
“When a young person in Russia turns 18, he said, they can immediately sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence, moving seamlessly from youth movement into military service.” Slaidiņš said,
“This system ensures a steady supply of recruits already shaped by state ideology and prepared for war.”
Sources: TV24, statements by NAF Major Jānis Slaidiņš, LA.LV
