V.O.I.N. Center trains cadets for precise and extended marksmanship.
In a significant development, a new sniper training program is being integrated into the educational curricula of Russia, primarily aimed at teenage boys aged 14-18. This military-style training initiative, known as the VOIN Center's sniping program, is designed to prepare young individuals for potential recruitment into the Russian armed forces.
The training, led by experienced instructors with real combat experience, including participants of the Special Military Operation (SVO), is expected to produce highly skilled specialists capable of complex combat tasks. These trained snipers are anticipated to subsequently instruct soldiers deployed in operational zones, thereby enhancing frontline combat effectiveness.
The VOIN Center, headquartered in Murmansk, has been conducting this program since 2023, with nearly 3,000 teenagers having participated since its inception about 1.5 years ago. The training activities are typically carried out in summer camps supported by regional governments under patriotic titles like "Time of Young Heroes."
The program's importance was reinforced in April 2025 when Dmitry Shevchenko, the VOIN Center's leadership, participated in a ceremony donating sniper rifles to Russian occupation forces. This move underscores the emphasis placed on sniper skills as part of a broader effort to strengthen Russia’s military capabilities.
The VOIN Center's sniping course provides essential skills, preparing cadets for military service. It focuses on safe weapon handling and the culture of shooting, with the best shooters joining a special sniper detachment of the camp. The course also emphasizes the importance of mathematical skills, with instructor Alexei Chalenko stating that a good sniper must know algebra and geometry at an excellent level.
A significant development in this regard is the construction of the multifunctional sports shooting center "Vostok" in the Nadymsky District of Primorye. This facility, spanning 70 hectares, will feature two main shooting ranges at 500 and 2500 meters. It will be jointly used by the Primorye Government, the Center "VOIN," and the Russian Federation of Military Shooting.
Recruit training will take place on Ministry of Defense polygons and in patriotic shooting camps. Notably, the first to begin mastering sniping were cadets from Kamchatka. The VOIN Center's sniping program, therefore, represents a significant step towards early militarization and specialized training of youth, integrated into a wider network of VOIN centers established across the country since 2023.
[1] Source: Various news reports and official statements.
The VOIN Center's sniping course, integrated into the education and self-development of young Russian individuals, offers online education on complex combat tasks and sniper skills. To enhance frontline combat effectiveness, these trained snipers are expected to instruct soldiers deployed in operational zones. This military-focused training initiative, a part of a broader effort to strengthen Russia’s military capabilities, has also established a new multifunctional sports shooting center, "Vostok," for comprehensive learning and training in sniper skills. [2] The construction of "Vostok" underscores the commitment to early militarization and specialized training of youth, integrated into a wider network of VOIN centers established across the country since 2023.
