Schoolchildren in Lithuania are to be taught how to build and fly drones in order to protect their country from invasion by Russia.

The goal is to train 7,000 kids aged eight and above to have drone skills by 2028. Under the plan:

• Primary school pupils will be taught to build and pilot simple drones.
• Secondary school pupils will be taught to design and build parts.
• Older kids will also be taught to fly advanced, first-person-view drones.

Lessons will take place in nine specialist drone centres dotted around the country, and government minister Dovilė Šakalienė said that 15,500 adults will get lessons, too.

Lithuania, a country of 2.8 million people, wants to boost its defences. It lies around 70 miles (110km) from Russia, and shares a border with Russia’s Kaliningrad territory.

The use of drones has become more common in warfare, with lots of attacks exchanged between Russia and Ukraine throughout the war.