How the State Fakes Military Training for Youth: The Pricey Deception with Weapon Mocks

Chas Pravdy - 17 August 2025 08:28

In an era of constant military threats and escalating geopolitical challenges, Ukraine’s youth military training system has turned into a facade of bureaucracy and corruption, where genuine skills and real combat readiness are replaced by financial manipulations and costly tenders.

Instead of proper shooting practice and hands-on combat training, Ukrainian schools increasingly rely on demonstrations of mock-ups of AK-74 rifles bought at astronomical prices exceeding 100,000 hryvnias each.

Just a few years ago, such simulated training was much cheaper and included actual firearm handling, physical exercises, disassembly and assembly of weapons, and shooting ranges.

Today, the country’s military education system is almost entirely dismantled, replaced by corruption schemes and bureaucratic fraud that generate millions of hryvnias for officials without offering any real training.

Despite the ongoing war in the eastern regions and real threats along the borders, Ukrainian youth remain deprived of basic firearm skills and modern European military standards.

Experts highlight the importance of revisiting past practices, recalling how during Soviet times, regular practical shooting and military drills prepared generations for service and defense.

Now, billions are wasted on purchasing imitation mock-ups that offer no real benefit, while the system fails to prepare young people for actual combat scenarios.

Responsible officials, who conduct dubious tenders, create artificial shortages of genuine firearms, and inflate prices, leaving the younger generation unprepared.

The solution lies in restoring systematic military education, engaging young people in real firing exercises, and establishing training grounds with authentic weapons to foster true combat skills vital for Ukraine’s national security.

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