Putin's Youth Army: Russia's new 'youth army' movement has 200,000 members

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to win another term in office in the nation's upcoming elections. He and his government are already looking to the future, to the next generation he'll need if he wants to stay in power. Our Moscow correspondent Lucy Taylor spent a day with Russia's extraordinary new "youth army" movement - which already has almost 200-thousand members.

They pledge allegiance to their country, and are rewarded with smart uniforms, new friends and days out with added showbiz. Russia's new 'youth army' is forging the next generation of patriots. They are as young as eight years old, and sponsored by the military.

"We are part of the wider armed forces. We are civilians, but we are standing together with everyone else to protect the country."

They are given basic training and promise to do well in studies and sport all in the name of their country.

"Some people do not demonstrate love for the country, they joke about it. But of course our motherland should be respected and should be a leading country."

"Patriotism is about noticing the faults that exist in your motherland, to fix them and make things better - for your town, for your country and your region."

It's a display of national strength and pride of the type long associated with the Russia of President Putin. And it has emerged almost overnight.

LUCY TAYLOR MOSCOW "Putin's youth army has grown to almost 200,000 in less than two years. The government may hope that investing in the next generation will bolster their support. But presidential elections here are just weeks away, and not all the young people believe that loving this country, means supporting its leaders."

Russia's opposition leaders are targeting young people in different ways. From the streets, to huge campaigns on social media. These two fifteen-year-old opposition supporters met through political groups online. They are too young to vote this time, but they are already part of the debate.

"The media is controlled by the government, the Internet is the only place where people can express their opinions openly, the opposition is using the Internet to grow its movement because young people spend a lot of time online. "

"For us, patriotism is about loving your country, not the government. If we think the government is criminal, we have to make efforts to change it, to make it better."

Their political leaders offer different visions of Russia's future. But as these young people find their place in the world, they will be coming of age as the generation that has never known life without Putin in power. Lucy Taylor, CGTN, Moscow.