Drone Pilots Who Pass GTO Standards to Receive Benefits

Bonus points for university admissions and increased scholarships, hiring preferences, and a tax deduction — these and other benefits will be available to Russians who complete the standards of the All-Russian Physical Culture and Sports Complex "Ready for Labor and Defense" (GTO) [a Soviet-era fitness certification program revived in 2014, requiring participants to meet age-graded physical standards across a range of disciplines]. In this anniversary year for the GTO — the complex turns 95 on 11 March — a new discipline will be added to the program: drone racing. Parlamentskaya Gazeta [a Russian parliamentary newspaper] found out how drone pilots can earn the coveted gold badge and what advantages it brings.

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### More Than a Fitness Standard

The Ministry of Sports is working jointly with the Russian Drone Racing Federation to incorporate unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation into the GTO complex. The ministry's press office informed Parlamentskaya Gazeta of this. Four pilot regions have been identified to test the standards: Moscow Oblast, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Bashkiria [the Republic of Bashkortostan], and Chechnya.

The proposal to include drone racing in the GTO program came from the President; he issued the corresponding instruction [Presidential Instruction] to the Cabinet following a meeting of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sports [an advisory body to the President on sports policy] in November 2025. The deadline for submitting proposals is 15 April 2026.

The integration of new disciplines into the GTO complex falls within the competence of the Ministry of Sports and is governed at the sub-statutory level, the Chair of the State Duma Committee on Sports explained to Parlamentskaya Gazeta. According to him, this does not involve the introduction of a separate legislative bill, but rather the implementation of the Presidential Instruction through amendments to the Ministry of Sports' regulatory framework.

The Duma committee's role in this case is to exercise parliamentary oversight to ensure the work proceeds in a timely and high-quality manner. Members of parliament are in ongoing dialogue with the ministry and the expert community, Matytsyn assured.

"We fully support the introduction of this discipline, as it reflects the demands of the times and new technological challenges," he said. "On our part, we are doing everything necessary to ensure the new standard is incorporated into the GTO complex as soon as possible and made accessible to citizens of all ages."

As for the substance of the innovation, incorporating UAV operation into the GTO will deliver far more than simply a new fitness standard, the deputy is convinced.

Oleg Matytsyn. *© Press Office of the State Duma*

"This will enable the systematic preparation of young people for the realities of the modern world, where unmanned technologies are penetrating every sphere — from agriculture and logistics to search-and-rescue and defense capability," said Oleg Matytsyn. "It will also help popularize engineering and technical specializations, making them attractive to schoolchildren and students through the game-based and competitive format of the GTO. And it will create a unified skills assessment framework, which will assist in career guidance and may in future be taken into account when applying to relevant universities and colleges."

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### An Obstacle Course in the Air

Drone racing is an official sport that has been developing in Russia for around ten years. The country's first team was formed in 2019; the Drone Racing Federation (FGDR) [Federatsiya Gonok Dronov Rossii] was established in 2023; and in 2024, the Ministry of Sports approved the rules. The athlete's objective, in general terms, is to complete one or more laps in the best possible time, navigating all obstacles in accordance with the designated route. The pilot holds a remote control and wears a helmet fitted with first-person-view (FPV) goggles.

The FGDR is already developing the testing program for the GTO complex, its president Ilya Galayev confirmed to Parlamentskaya Gazeta. Around forty specialized centers are planned to open across the four pilot regions, where conditions will be created for training, taking the standards, and promoting drone racing among young people.

"This year will be a testing phase in terms of methodology, infrastructure, and the standards themselves," Galayev explained. "In 2027–2028, we plan to scale the project across all 89 regions of Russia and permanently incorporate UAV operation elements into the GTO complex."

As for the standards themselves, the first stage will assess two official sporting disciplines: Class 75 drone racing and flights on a domestically developed quadcopter simulator. Participants must complete a set course within a time limit while meeting all requirements. This is a clear, objective, and safe format that has already proven itself in competitive sport, the FGDR says.

The testing is designed for the 14-to-29 age group, corresponding to fitness levels 5 through 9 of the GTO complex. The federation explains that this is the period during which the key skills demanded both in sport and in modern technology-oriented professions are formed.

"Drone racing tests and develops agility, concentration, reaction speed, and fine motor skills," said Ilya Galayev. "It is not simply playing with a remote control, but a fully-fledged sporting discipline requiring high coordination, self-control, and the ability to make decisions in fractions of a second. Including drone racing in the GTO will make the complex more modern and will help engage people in sport, technology, and engineering thinking. It will help develop professional competencies for one of the most in-demand professions of the future."

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### Who Wears the GTO Badge?

The GTO complex marks its 95th anniversary on 11 March. It was on that day in 1931 that the draft of the first set of standards was published — adopted with almost no amendments — and became the foundation of the physical education system for the entire country. But the history of drawing Soviet citizens into sport began earlier.

In the first year of Soviet rule, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK RSFSR) [the supreme governing body of Soviet Russia before the formation of the USSR] adopted a decree "On Compulsory Military Training." From April 1918, men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 were required to receive military training at their place of work. Military-sports associations and specialized public organizations were established across the young country. The idea of introducing a unified criterion for assessing the physical fitness of people of different ages emerged in the early 1930s. The slogan "Ready for Labor and Defense" appeared at the same time. The complex's objective was formulated as follows: the further improvement of the level of physical education and mobilization readiness of the Soviet people, and of the younger generation in particular.

*© Vladimir Trefilov / RIA Novosti*

Initially, participation was open to those aged 17 and above. The program included running, jumping, swimming, rope climbing, grenade throwing, rowing, skiing, horse riding, and movement in a gas mask. In 1934, a children's complex — "Be Ready for Labor and Defense of the USSR" (BGTO) — was introduced specifically for adolescents aged 13–16.

After the Great Patriotic War [World War II, as referred to in Russian historical tradition], the GTO was modernized: the number of mandatory standards was reduced, and greater emphasis was placed on aligning the tests with school and university curricula, bringing the complex closer to young people and students. The structure was revised again in the 1970s, when six levels were introduced for different age groups. Any Soviet citizen between the ages of seven and sixty could earn a GTO badge. It was only with the onset of the 1990s that the complex ceased to exist as a state program, with only isolated elements surviving in sporting practice and the upbringing of the younger generation.

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### Almost 15 Million Badge Holders

The value of the GTO was rediscovered in the new Russia more than twenty years after it fell into obscurity. In 2014, Vladimir Putin signed a Presidential Decree "On the All-Russian Physical Culture and Sports Complex 'Ready for Labor and Defense.'" The corresponding Government Resolution set out the objectives of its implementation: improving the effectiveness of physical activity in promoting health and the harmonious and well-rounded development of the individual, as well as fostering patriotism. The performance requirements were divided into three levels of difficulty, corresponding to gold, silver, and bronze badges.

At the present stage, the primary goal of the GTO is to popularize sport and increase the number of citizens leading an active and healthy lifestyle, the Ministry of Sports informed Parlamentskaya Gazeta. Over the period of the complex's implementation — from 1 September 2014 to 1 January 2026 — 14.8 million people completed the testing and demonstrated a high level of physical fitness corresponding to a badge of distinction. Of these, 5.6 million Russians met the gold badge standards, 4.78 million met the silver badge standards, and 4.46 million met the bronze badge standards.

Since 2014, the testing program has been revised on multiple occasions, and the number of age-based levels has been increased — there are now eighteen, ranging from the youngest participants — children aged 6–7 — to the oldest — those aged 70 and above.

The GTO complex includes up to eleven types of physical exercises, some mandatory and some elective. Mandatory standards include: short-distance running — 30 meters, 60 meters, or 100 meters; long-distance running — over one kilometer; a running or standing long jump; pull-ups on a bar (which may be substituted with a kettlebell snatch or push-ups); and a forward bend from a standing position on a gymnastics bench. The elective program includes swimming, Nordic walking, and even an esports discipline.

GTO standards can be completed over the course of the year. Each standard allows one attempt, but a failed attempt may be retaken after two weeks. The complex's official status is reflected in the fact that registration for testing is carried out through the Gosuslugi [public services] portal [Russia's unified government digital services platform]. Results can be tracked and testing participation planned through the personal account on the portal.

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### Motivation Comes in Many Forms

Although completing GTO standards is not mandatory for today's schoolchildren, efforts are made to motivate young people to do so — and not only young people. To encourage employees at industrial enterprises and organizations, time off and bonuses are available for meeting GTO standards at badge level, the Ministry of Sports informed the publication.

In a number of regions, discounts and benefits are provided on services at physical culture and sports organizations, including access to sports facilities, fitness clubs, sports nutrition stores, and equipment retailers. University applicants who hold GTO badges of distinction may receive between one and ten additional points toward their Unified State Exam (EGE) [the standardized school-leaving and university entrance examination in Russia] score on admission. Completion of the standards is recognized as an individual achievement.

From 1 January 2025, passing the standards entitles individuals to a tax deduction of up to 18,000 rubles per year. This is not a direct cash refund, but rather the ability to reduce taxable income — meaning that portion of salary will not be subject to personal income tax (PIT). Importantly, participants must not only pass the standards to earn one of the badges, but also undergo a medical check-up [a preventive health examination provided under the Russian state healthcare system].

The size of the deduction depends on income level and PIT rate, since from 2025 the rate ranges from 13 to 22 percent. For example, if a person earned one million rubles, personal income tax would be calculated not on the full amount, but on 982,000 rubles. As a result, a portion of the PIT already paid would be refunded — at a rate of 13 percent, this amounts to 2,340 rubles. The tax deduction may be obtained in 2026 through the employer in any month of the tax period, but no earlier than the month in which the employee confirms their entitlement to it, the Federal Tax Service [Russia's national tax authority] stated.

As for non-material incentives, the Ministry of Sports regularly holds GTO festivals in the regions and formal awards ceremonies for individuals who have met the gold badge standards.

The motivation system plays a key role in engaging Russians in physical culture, Oleg Matytsyn believes. The existing incentive measures have, in his view, proven their effectiveness, and they are enshrined in law. According to a recent study by Rosmolodezh [the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs], 85 percent of young Russians choose a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, commitment to sport only increases with age: in the 25–29 age group, 50 percent of citizens already engage in sport on a regular basis.