May 12, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT Students at universities across Russia are being promised high salaries, no front-line duty and a return to their studies within a year with free tuition if they join Russia’s newly formed drone force, meant to give Moscow an edge amid Ukraine’s significant leaps in drone warfare . But rights activists told NBC News the offer could be a trap that would see students in the thick of the fighting in Ukraine , risking being drafted into front-line infantry units with no way out until the war ends. The intense recruitment drive has accelerated since January, reflecting the increasingly crucial role of drone warfare in the conflict , now into its fifth year. Russia is sustaining heavy casualties, and the U.S.-led peace talks have stalled amid the focus on the Middle East .…