Agencies Rostov Region

Scores of schoolchildren enjoyed a riverside adventure in southern Russia this week, but it was no ordinary holiday camp. With military instructors shouting encouragement, the 83 children, aged 8-17, took part in a "route march" on the shore of the River Don, alternately running and crawling on their bellies across sand and through shallow water.

The exercise, supervised by soldiers who have taken part in the war in Ukraine, was part of a wider trend in Russia to educate even young children in skills to equip them for eventual military service.

One of the youngest participants, 8-year-old Ivan Glushchenko, replied instantly when asked what had been the most memorable part. "How we threw hand grenades and fired dummy shots," he said. The children were part of a group of cadets run by Cossacks in the Rostov region, close to the border with Ukraine. "Why I am here? It's because I want to tie my future with military service. (I want) to serve my country and be loyal to my cause until the very end," said one of the older boys, Anton.

Another, David, said the "route march" had enabled him to test his own limits. "It allowed me to find out how strong my willpower is." Critics like the independent children's rights organisation "Ne Norma" say putting youngsters through army-style training and teaching them in school how to handle weapons and build military drones is a form of indoctrination and propaganda.

Russian authorities say this kind of education serves to instil healthy patriotism and build national resilience. Among the instructors in Rostov was Alexander Shopin, a Russian soldier who was wounded in Ukraine and is awaiting surgery. His middle daughter was one of the participants. “It's not the first time I've taken part in this route march. I like it – to pass my experience to the children.”