"In the year 2025, Warrior will educate and mentor a massive group of 35,000 individuals."
As directed by its founder, Dmitry Shevchenko, the "Warrior" center intends to train 35,000 cadets by the end of the year, with around 13,000 receiving training during the summer military-patriotic camps "Time of Young Heroes."
To enhance their efforts, the center has signed a cooperation agreement with the Russian Federation of Practical Shooting. This collaboration aims to empower minors with military practical skills and foster a sense of patriotism.
Established on December 1, 2022, the "Warrior" center has spread its branches across 21 regions of Russia, with 400 instructors, many of whom are participants in the SVO, leading the training. The curriculum covers fire, engineering, tactical training, communication organization, and national security fundamentals, along with drone operation, tactical medicine, and participation in various military-sports games. Over two years, the center has trained more than 55,000 individuals in various areas.
In Yakutia, the "Warrior" center branch opened in the spring of last year, with over 30 instructors imparting their knowledge, some having combat experience. Furthermore, Yakutia has hosted a training shooting center "Suolus" for two years, offering basic military instruction to those interested. The SVO participants also come here to refine their skills and enhance their qualifications.
It should be noted that the "Warrior" center, frequently mentioned in Ukrainian and international reports, operates in the Donetsk region under Russian control rather than within Russia proper. Its primary objectives involve militarizing vulnerable minors from the occupied territories of Ukraine through practical military skills training and ideological indoctrination, ultimately grooming them for potential future military service and instilling loyalty to the occupying state. The training programs include summer camps, practical military skills instruction, patriotic education, simulated combat, and ideological indoctrination.
Sharing similar goals, the "Warrior" center forms part of a broader strategy to militarize youth in the occupied territories, as demonstrated by other initiatives such as "Yunarmiya" and "Zarnitsa 2.0" being implemented elsewhere. The recruitment and militarization of children are widely viewed as violations of international humanitarian law, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Geneva Conventions.
- To complement their military training, the "Warrior" center is also focusing on education-and-self-development, dedicating time to personal-growth and learning, nurturing their cadets to become well-rounded individuals, preparing them for future responsibilities beyond the battlefield.
- In addition to developing practical military skills, the "Warrior" center is integrating academic modules into its curriculum, emphasizing the importance of learning and promoting a lifelong quest for knowledge as a cornerstone of personal-growth and overall development.
