# Russia looks to students to make up for mounting losses in Ukraine

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-07-04 03:07 UTC · Category: World

## Executive Summary
Russia turns to students and occupied‑territory residents, using a new messenger app, to staff its expanding drone force amid mounting losses in Ukraine

## Intelligence Brief
Russia is actively recruiting residents of temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and university students to serve as drone operators for its UAV units. The effort is coordinated through a newly introduced messaging platform referred to as MAX, also called “Makh” in coverage.


Russian outlet Цензор.НЕТ and Ukrainian outlet УНН both highlight the mass‑recruiting drive via the MAX messenger. Forbes frames the drone force as needing a different kind of recruit, while Reuters reports a jobs‑site advertisement for drone operators tasked with defending Moscow.


The BBC links the recruitment push to Russia’s mounting losses in the Ukraine conflict. Future coverage should monitor additional recruitment postings, any expansion of the MAX messenger campaign, and further statements about the composition and deployment of Russia’s drone units.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| MS NOW | Anxiety mounts for NATO officials over growing threat from Russia’s ‘bad decisions’ | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMibEFVX3lxTE8wdkg0RXlWZXFibzk4TTE2aVAxOVk1V2NjR2ZsZGpXR19TNW1rcF9TNU1mWUVGM2YwWDZYa0RXTTRtdU83Vk9vbTRRWkpJbWpaRndvR1hkUzFnbWlPc1hBYlhmUkNaT25RSmZvbQ?oc=5) |
| CNN | As NATO meets, Putin is weighing his options in Ukraine, and further afield | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihwFBVV95cUxNNVlsNGJBMzRyREk0V1BhQmxuOTU5dHNWU1JMVjJEOGQ1OERmME1yckdoS1JvVkl3RDk2VGZwZ3J1OFJIcXR1VHNhbFhZWGtMakx2Ynl0UzF4WHJYajdhaGlOWXVoc0ZETk80QUcwcURCSF8tNTU5SWM4T1ZPcHVEQmZTRFFodzA?oc=5) |
| Reuters | Kremlin says Russia will follow NATO summit closely | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxQazlHX1lOOEVLb3BObGVTWThFeTVYdkQzMmctN08xSlZpX01wRWRUaTZ2bTdRbEthQWx3RTdZZnJleVFPWUtxVUtuOWdsYUVPSU9LS0N1b0hzbHVsMmt1U2ZmTmx1ZzI4d2llSG9RRW9VXzBBRWc2YWhFTGdJUHZwOXo1UG9wcU42d19FMmJOV3ZVTDZhdkhaaEJxZDJvOHhmNlE?oc=5) |
| Yahoo | Russia looks to students to make up for mounting losses in Ukraine | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxPN3RtMkwwUzZDcEV0Rnp2eXh6MGdUSlp2ZnFmYlBVWk5ZdDE1S2dlWXcxdy10RXdZUEhER09TU2gycWtLUXFaSHlMMEhRTU1wQlJ5ckhSdW9XaGw4M1UzeU0yRE9FQS1QMUxfVS1fZ0Zuc1JtM1pha1Z3dldHbDNlcTA5MkhzNVRrNFpQdnpKbXM1MVNpa0ZzNXFB?oc=5) |
| Цензор.НЕТ | Russia recruits Ukrainians in occupied territories through new MAX messenger – National Resistance Center | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxNUkZVZjczTkJkUWtFUk5iajRUWE5kZUoyUm1lWjNxMktGLVYwVGk4SmhVckgtbDI5a19zTmtnM0hKem9zRE50c25uRzMyanZIWkt4UTRrclc4WXlNR1JXSjVUSmlGOWJpVkVkV3FBX2VfbWtTekFKY1o1YzVwQXlUN3dDVFN5QQ?oc=5) |
| Українські Національні Новини (УНН) | Russians are mass-recruiting residents of the temporarily occupied territories into UAV units via the "Makh" messenger - CNS | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi2wFBVV95cUxQZU5iSDUxaEpkSkVyNzZMazN1UnB1RklLRTg5SkRTcHhNb2pER1kxX0pJWFAxWXY4R2hweUFWcWdvMTdYNHkxaXRsYktxQ19BbHdQQWpVZ09sdUJGQV8weDZpejFkVFAwczhFazhOM0xNc21Xcl9uYlZEbGJpcmZvOUUyNE52V0tOdjdQRDVXWHR3TGQ1RWNqTmNTSW1FSEc1RS01dFBjRGhYNWFXRTFoajRxam5aOUQtcDV3d01RakVFcVFISU1PZFJPOEZDOF9FNm1FS1RPamlFVE3SAdoBQVVfeXFMTlBVQVRKcmk0QmNCTWREdGRwWlFZQ2xTelI0WUVNVWpFTUdXX1VybnE2dFpzVm9BNzRRTWsta3ZwaUZwN2F2SGhtcjVrekpWZ2Rja21oVC1temkzVmM2SHdtelZiZmJxckMyT2E5bThCR1pxSzJUZlh) |
| Forbes | Russia's Drone Force Needs A Different Kind Of Recruit | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxQQVBINDFQTXZfMVlLTS1kN0IwcENyRHJPWEZFUDBLSWFJRzBFS1haUU9GVWdYTDg0ZndiSHpVVnJJR0ItSWVrQUhHTGlwLUxIWG1Wa0VVX3pfLWx1NkQyZkFRQUlrMHp3WlJBN0dtZENHQUhCcGxjN2xtbmFBNkZGcEQxS05SQ0tkZWljeXdUdy1jZVY1WS1LemN2Mlk4bGRDeWF3RTBZSzBtYXBEbXlR?oc=5) |
| Reuters | Russian jobs website posts ad for drone operators to defend Moscow | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxNVVZxVjROc1hRZi1IcXp1V3JFeGRrU3pCaC0xenYzX1lRWnc1b2FhSW94cElyOFFSM3F5Tkx6amhWQ1ZvaDJzVVlsOHdodUJEdTk5Rm1OODJhV2doa3Z4SUxMTHZVMzRNOXpQMHF4ZVlFS2E4cHhVN3VNWS1Oc3AxUmtQV3FnUnZ2dUZxNm1YRTQyV0M0TkQ5Q3R3cjNhLTBxcmxZ?oc=5) |
| BBC | Russia looks to students to make up for mounting losses in Ukraine | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWkFVX3lxTE5CV01jUnQ3SU0xTTRxdG1sT18zUWtzTWJSZzdpckh2X21RUlJaNW5adjQzZGM3bFB2TE84T2M2WDI0WUlpY2JwUGdwaEV3VlBSOE9WdjVydEZpZw?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-07-04/russia-looks-to-students-to-make-up-for-mounting-losses-in-ukraine*