Children as young as four and five-years-old are being given war lessons in Vladimir Putin ’s Russia, it has emerged.
In a shocking video an officer is shown in combat uniform demonstrating a Kalashnikov machine-gun and an anti-tank grenade launcher to pre-school children.
Pavel Firsov, the teacher in the video, is from a militaristic pro-Kremlin movement called Combat Brotherhood.
Pavel says that the Children at Kindergarten No. 31 in Korolev, near Moscow were taught the “qualities that distinguish a true defender of the Motherland”.
He is a “veteran of military operations” and regularly gives military lessons to older children.
The military classes come as tens of thousands of Russian troops have died in Putin’s attempt to invade Ukraine.
In Russia, children attend kindergartens before transferring to schools at the age of seven.
One critical comment on the video asked: “Did I understand correctly that a combatant brought a machine gun and a flamethrower to the kindergarten?”
But another replied: “It is better that a combatant who wishes well for children brings a machine gun and a flamethrower to the kindergarten than a terrorist.”
Another commenter said: “In my school childhood, someone’s grandfather with noble grey hair came bedecked in medals and told us that war is scary, with pain and tears.”
“We were told how wonderful victory was and how to cherish world peace.”
“I don’t remember a word about weapons.”
“Now happy Russian children are being told how and what to use to kill bad people. Feel the difference.”
Another complained: "I'm shocked.
“Why, why show this in the kindergarten? Degenerates!”
A parent at the nursery school said: “We were not warned. We were only lucky that our child was not in the kindergarten on this day.”
Another critic said it was “awful” to show children the weapons.
“The law says it is not permitted to involve children in military propaganda. It is necessary to report this violation to the prosecutor's office.”
A supporter said that unless boys are taught about weapons they will become “cowardly men”.
Another said: “The girls will probably not be interested, but the boys - 100%."
“We have become too soft and pampered as we see from so many indignant comments.”
The news comes as the Russian army has vowed to “fight to the death” as tens of thousands are evacuated from Kherson in Ukraine.
Civilians and Russian-appointed officials are fleeing from Ukraine's southern Kherson region and Vladimir Saldo.
Kherson was the first major city to fall to the Russians at the start of the war and remains the only regional capital under Moscow’s control, so retaking it would be a huge victory for Ukraine.
