Paul Goble
Staunton, June 4 – The number of violent attacks in Russian schools rose by 80 percent between 2024 and 2025 and reached an all-time high last year, with the numbers so far in 2026 making it likely that this year the figure will be even higher. In response, Russian politicians are calling for Moscow to deploy veterans of Putin’s war in Ukraine to defend Russian schools.
There were “at least” 25 violent attacks on schools last year, in which 38 people were injured and four killed, Novaya Gazeta Europe reports. Both numbers were all-time highs (novayagazeta.eu/articles/2026/06/04/chislo-napadenii-na-rossiiskie-shkoly-v-2026-godu-dostiglo-istoricheskogo-maksimuma).
Most occurred in schools rather than university-level institutions; and overwhelmingly, they took place in federal subjects outside of the capitals of Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the past, attackers used mostly knives; but ever more often, officials say, they are using handguns or other weapons.
Some observers place the blame on popular culture or on the schools themselves which have a massive shortage of psychologists who might be able to identify and help those thinking about committing such crimes and which often have extremely inadequate perimeter defense systems.
Russian politicians are calling for units of the National Guard to be deployed around schools or even to use veterans of Putin’s war in Ukraine to guard Russian educational institutions and prevent further incidents of violence against Russian young people.
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