Children as young as four and five are being given war lessons in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Shocking footage shows an officer in combat fatigues demonstrating a Kalashnikov machine-gun and an anti-tank grenade launcher to kindergarten youngsters.
The ‘teacher’ is Pavel Firsov, from a militaristic pro-Kremlin movement called Combat Brotherhood.
Children at Kindergarten No. 31 in Korolev, near Moscow were taught the ‘qualities that distinguish a true defender of the Motherland’.
Firsov is a ‘veteran of military operations’ and regularly gives military lessons to older children.
The classes come as tens of thousands of Russian troops have died in Putin’s attempt to invade and emasculate independent country Ukraine.
One critical commenter asked in disbelief: ‘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 despaired: ‘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 expressed outrage.
‘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.’
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.’
In Russia, children attend kindergartens before transferring to schools at the age of seven.