ST. PETERSBURG — Russia's Defense Ministry launched a recruitment campaign in January at universities across the country to enlist students into its newly formed drone force, offering high salaries, free tuition and exemption from front-line duty. Some universities have promised students serving as drone pilots for one year up to $70,000 in salary and a return to their studies within a year.

The drone forces were formed in November 2025 as a new branch of the Russian army. The ministry said it sought recruits with experience in flying drones, model aircraft, technology, electronics and radio engineering, and that good analytical, vestibular and fine motor skills along with computer proficiency were desired.

Pamphlets offering free tuition and up to $70,000 to student drone pilots were distributed at Bauman Moscow State Technical University. Other Russian universities have offered incentives including tax holidays, loan forgiveness and free land to students who sign military contracts. At least 270 Russian academic institutions have promoted military contracts to their students, according to Groza.

The ministry posted a recruitment video to Telegram centered on what it called an "honest account" of a former student now mastering drone operations as a contract pilot. The video features video game-style shots of a drone being piloted remotely while rock music plays in the background.

The recruitment drive has accelerated since January. It targets about 2 million men attending Russian universities, with a focus on students with gaming experience and those with technical skills potentially suitable for drone piloting.

At an event in February at his university, Andrey, a student from the Krasnoyarsk region in Siberia, heard from a military enlistment office representative and a veteran of what Russian officials call the "special military operation" about the new drone force and its personnel needs. He said no one told students about potential drawbacks of signing a contract to join the drone force. "It was irritating because it felt forced," Andrey said. "No one is interested. Everyone understands that it's not as they say it is."

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A research study found that 24 percent of top Russian software developers active on GitHub left the country within the first year of the war.