Photo: Russian Drone Racing Federation

Vladimir Putin has announced the launch of a Russian youth drone-flying championship, dubbed Pilots of the Future, to start in 2026, the Kremlin press service announced on Monday.

The championship will be run by the youth organisation the Movement of the First and Russia’s Drone Racing Federation, according to the Kremlin, while funding will come from the federal budget.

The championship will be open to children aged seven and over. Putin has instructed the Sports Ministry and the Drone Racing Federation to lower its age requirements, as both currently only allow children aged 10 or over to operate drones.

The announcement comes amid a marked shift towards drone warfare in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with both sides continuing to launch drone strikes deep into each other’s territory.

One of the war’s biggest attacks occurred on 1 June, when coordinated Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian airfields reportedly damaged 40 Russian aircraft and destroyed up to 13.

Over the past several years, Russia has increasingly indoctrinated children about the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, everyday life on the front line and serving in the army. Novaya Gazeta Europe recently estimated that at least 40,000 military-themed events involving war veterans had been held in Russian schools since the start of the war for children as young as six since the start of the war.