The number of free places at Russian universities has increased significantly since the country began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Last year, 30,000 free places were offered to foreign students. An increase of approximately 67 percent from 2021 when the country received 18,000 free students.
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Earlier in May, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that Russia should increase the number of foreign students at Russian universities to at least half a million by 2030.
The students apply themselves
In Estonia, around a hundred students have the opportunity to apply for free education in Russia via the Russian embassy every year.
It is most common for the students, who often have a Russian background, to apply themselves. But according to the Estonian security police, Kapo, the Russian embassy in Tallinn is also trying to select specific students.
– Students who study languages but also, for example, IT and political science are of interest to them, says Marta Tuul.
In the Estonian intelligence service EFIS annual report from last year they write that there are often intelligence personnel at Russian universities.
– The Russian intelligence services collect information about you from day one. Then it can be used to recruit you at their convenience. It doesn’t necessarily have to be during the study period, says Marta Tuul.
Historical examples
The security police in Sweden, Säpo, neither wants to confirm nor deny whether Russian recruitment attempts took place in Sweden. But says there are historical examples of countries’ intelligence services trying to recruit students at European educational sites.
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