Russia Recruits Women at 10 Universities for Drone Force as War Rewards Technical Skill
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jun 29
Russia Recruits Women at 10 Universities for Drone Force as War Rewards Technical Skill
3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jun 29
Summary
At least 10 Russian colleges and universities have been approached by the Defense Ministry to recruit female students as drone operators, pitching the work as a relatively safe technical role.
The drive supports Russia’s Unmanned Systems Forces, created in November 2025, as Moscow expands a drone arm that Ukrainian operators say is already becoming more effective.
A February Jamestown Foundation report found drone-operator curricula at 32 Russian universities, while Russian media and earlier reporting described academic leave, financial incentives and university quotas feeding the pipeline.
That promise of specialist service is uncertain: a June BBC Russian investigation found some recruits were sent to assault units instead, and the outlet has identified more than 1,000 Russian drone operators killed in the war.
The campaign shows how Russia’s attritional military is reshaping recruitment around technical talent, with analysts saying it is accepting higher frontline risk to improve drone performance.
With Ukraine dominating the drone war, can Russia's student recruits survive long enough to close the technological gap?
Are Russia's new female drone pilots pioneers of modern warfare or simply pawns in a high-tech, high-casualty attritional conflict?
Russia’s 79,000-Strong Drone Army: Inside the 2025–2026 Recruitment Drive and the Militarization of Society
Overview
From late 2025 to April 2026, Russia rapidly established its Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) as a new military branch, launching a centrally coordinated and highly organized recruitment drive. The campaign targets skilled and technologically proficient individuals, especially university students and women, who are valued for their technical abilities. Leaked data reveals an ambitious USF organizational structure, with plans for significant growth in operational capacity by 2025–2026. This expansion reflects Russia’s strategic focus on modernizing its military through advanced unmanned systems and specialized personnel, aiming to strengthen its capabilities in the ongoing conflict.