Russia revives Soviet war game to train children for the battlefield скачать в хорошем качестве

Russia revives Soviet war game to train children for the battlefield

The Soviet-era military-patriotic game Zarnitsa was reintroduced in occupied Crimea after Russia’s 2014 annexation. In 2023, Russia relaunched the Zarnitsa game under a new name — Zarnitsa 2.0 — updated to fit the realities of modern warfare. This new version now includes elements of military cyber operations, information security, and new tactical strategies. The game unfolds in several stages, with children competing in teams. Each participant takes on a specific role: drone operator, sapper, spotter, medic, assault trooper, political officer, or war correspondent. According to Russian sources, 800,000 children participated in the game in 2024. In 2025, three million children registered to take part in Zarnitsa 2.0. This is part of a broader system through which Russia indoctrinates Ukrainian children in occupied territories — using education and leisure programs to build its future army. The Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit exposes this system in its new documentary.