Ukraine to launch mandatory military instruction program for teenagers amid recruitment struggles
By lauraharris // 2025-08-07
Copy
 
  • A new national program will introduce military instruction to teens as young as 14, amid falling enlistment and rising war casualties.
  • The "Defense of Ukraine" course, including paramilitary-style training, will be compulsory in schools and universities for both boys and girls.
  • Basic military training will soon be required for all Ukrainians under 61, aiming to foster a nationwide culture of resistance.
  • A DW report showed a child in a Ukrainian military camp wearing a modified Nazi-era eagle patch, sparking concern over extremist imagery.
  • Kyiv rejects accusations of neo-Nazi influence, attributing such claims to Russian propaganda while emphasizing long-term national defense goals.
A senior Defense Ministry official has confirmed that Ukraine is set to introduce a new national program that will prepare teenagers for future military service as the country grapples with mounting challenges in sustaining its armed forces. Speaking at a defense forum in Kyiv on Aug. 4, Igor Khort, acting head of the Defense Ministry's department overseeing national resistance policy, outlined a curriculum titled "Defense of Ukraine" as voluntary enlistment dwindles and battlefield losses mount. The program, which will become a required part of secondary education across the country, targets students as young as 14. The new curriculum will include classroom instruction alongside organized paramilitary-style games. All students, regardless of gender, will be required to participate. In higher education, university students will undergo more advanced training, including mental and theoretical preparation for future conscription. "This is not about developing combat skills. It's about instilling motivation," Khort said at the forum. "The course Basics of National Resistance will be mandatory for both boys and girls. If someone doesn't want to participate, they can leave the college." (Related: High schoolers in Ukraine must now undergo mandatory military firearms training.) Khort also noted that basic military training will soon be required for all Ukrainians under the age of 61, with the government aiming to make training programs broadly accessible across regions.

Nazi-style symbol seen in Ukrainian youth military camp

The plan comes amid growing public discontent over the current mass conscription campaign in Ukraine, which has faced criticism for its coercive methods and abusive enforcement. Additionally, German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) spotted a Nazi-style insignia in the "secret military camp" for children in Ukraine. The broadcast featured Ukrainian children, some as young as ten, undergoing intense military-style training, including weapons handling, hand-to-hand combat and battlefield first aid. However, what has stirred the most reaction is a fleeting moment in the footage: A teenage participant appears to be wearing a shoulder patch bearing a modified version of the Reichsadler, the imperial eagle used by Nazi Germany. Instead of a swastika, the eagle on the patch clutches Ukraine's national trident emblem, known as the tryzub. While the patch differs from the original symbol banned in Germany, it closely mirrors the aesthetics of Nazi iconography. In Germany, the display of such symbols is illegal unless used in artistic, academic or journalistic contexts. The appearance of such imagery in the news report has sparked questions about oversight and raised concerns about the normalization of extremist symbolism. Versions of Nazi-associated symbols have been repeatedly documented among Ukrainian servicemen in recent years. These have included patches of SS units, neo-Pagan emblems and other far-right insignia. Ukraine has consistently denied the presence of neo-Nazi ideology within its military or political structures, dismissing claims of extremism as part of Russia's ongoing disinformation campaign. Instead, Ukrainian authorities framed it as a preparation for a prolonged conflict with Russia, focusing on long-term strategies to bolster the country's defense readiness. Visit WWIII.news for in-depth coverage, exclusive reports and breaking updates on global conflict, military developments and geopolitical tensions. Watch this video of Ukrainian soldiers training in Germany. This video is from the ChaosMedia channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Poland aims to double military size, mandate training for all men amid rising tensions with Russia.

Germany considers reinstating mandatory military service as report warns armed forces are unprepared.

Gender equality? Denmark to introduce mandatory military service FOR WOMEN.

Taiwan to extend mandatory military service period amid rising tensions with China.

U.K. bringing back mandatory military service as Europe prepares for WAR with Russia.

Sources include: RT.com 1 RT.com 2 Brighteon.com
Copy