A man claiming to be a Ukrainian serviceman crashed a video conference at Kuban State Agrarian University in which students were being urged to sign contracts with Russia’s Defense Ministry and go to war.
Video of the call was shared by Ukrainian outlets. Before them, Ukrainian prankster Yevhen Volnov posted the clip, though he stopped short of claiming responsibility. A caption in the video reads: “Ukrainian intelligence services broke into a private conference at Kuban State Agrarian University.” Volnov also says that “Ukrainian intelligence services disrupted a closed recruitment event.”
The recording does not show where the event was held. The footage shows a lecture hall packed with students — a similar auditorium exists at Kuban State Agrarian University — though it is unclear from the clip when the gathering took place.
During the recruitment event shown in the footage, the organizers connected a man in camouflage, a balaclava, and dark glasses via video call, apparently believing him to be a Russian serviceman. He then announced he was Ukrainian.
“I’m actually a serviceman — just not Russian, but Ukrainian. And I want to tell you: God forbid you come here, because I’ll have to kill you — every single one of you who signs that contract. All your faces have been noted, as has the rector’s, and those who were just presenting all of this to you, the serviceman who was just telling you about it,” he told the students.
He also told those present that the Russian army had been unable to move the front line for four years and was taking heavy losses, and that commanders were extorting money from Russian servicemen. “A cemetery the size of two countries. And everyone who sets foot on Ukrainian soil — we will kill,” he said, before being disconnected from the call.
On April 17, Ukrainian prankster Yevhen Volnov published a recording from a private meeting at Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry, held in video conference format. The footage captured participants discussing drone production; one official said that 90 percent of the electronics in Russian drones are made from foreign components.
Reports that Russian universities were recruiting students to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry and fight in Ukraine began emerging in late 2025. Students are promised one-year service in drone warfare units under “special conditions,” though human rights activists warn that recruiters cannot guarantee this.
Russian authorities set universities a target of recruiting two percent of their student body as contract soldiers for the war, the independent Russian political newsletter Faridaily reported on April 1. Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to recruit 78,800 people into its drone warfare units by the end of 2026, the independent Russian investigative outlet iStories reported.
At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.
If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].
To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.
