Schoolgirls in Izhevsk made underwear for Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine

A school in Izhevsk, Russia, enlisted fifth and sixth-grade girls to sew underwear for Russian military personnel fighting in Ukraine. The school published a post about the initiative on June 11, 2026, but it only attracted wider media attention recently. The incident is part of a broader pattern of Russian authorities involving children in activities supporting the war effort.

A school in Izhevsk, the capital of Russia's Udmurtia Republic, used female pupils aged 10-12 to manufacture underwear for Russian troops deployed in Ukraine, in what critics are calling a troubling example of the militarisation of Russian childhood education.

School No. 62 in Izhevsk published a post about the activity on June 11, 2026, though it went largely unnoticed until the Telegram channel "Udmurtia Without Corruption" drew attention to it. Journalists subsequently picked up the story.

Two Weeks of Unpaid Labour

According to the school's own post, a sewing circle called "Igolochka" (meaning "Little Needle") produced a batch of garments described as "sewing products for fighters in a regiment from Udmurtia." Photographs accompanying the post make clear that the items in question were men's underwear.

«The girls of grades 5-6 worked tirelessly for two weeks. […] The girls made their modest contribution to helping people in need! These items will be sent to the front and will come in handy for the fighters,» the school wrote.

In exchange for their work, the Igolochka sewing group received two letters of thanks, one from the medical service of the Udmurt Regiment and another from the movement "Help the Front Izhevsk."

Children Drawn Into the War Effort

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities have systematically involved children in activities framed as supporting the military campaign. Schools and kindergartens across the country have held special classes that, among other things, present the invasion of Ukraine in a favourable light and encourage pupils to contribute to the war effort in practical ways.

The Izhevsk case stands out because it involves the physical labour of minors being directed toward producing military supplies, a step beyond symbolic gestures or classroom lessons. Child welfare advocates and independent observers have repeatedly raised alarms about the pressure placed on Russian schoolchildren to participate in pro-war activities, with little room for families to opt out without social or administrative consequences.