At Lyceum No. 11 in Krasnoyarsk, a veteran of the war against Ukraine, Alexander Klaus, addressed students during a September 1 assembly, saying: "As one politician said, so that the whole world speaks Russian, study the design of the Kalashnikov rifle."
The video of the speech was published by the outlet Prospekt Mira. Klaus's identity was established by Ostorozhno, Novosti and SOTAvision. Klaus likely quoted Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who in one of his speeches said that "let them better study the Kalashnikov, and then soon the whole world will speak Russian."
In the footage, Klaus, wearing a black baseball cap and with a tattoo on his face, tells the children: "Everyone jumbo. Victory will be ours." The gesture he made is used by mercenaries of the Wagner Group.
According to Agentstvo, in 2021 Klaus was convicted of extortion. Court records show he received a suspended sentence of two years and eight months for demanding 550,000 rubles from the director of a transport department in exchange for not publishing photos from a barbecue in the media. In court, Klaus effectively admitted guilt and said he had been depressed.
Klaus regularly participates in propaganda events for schoolchildren and students. In October 2025, at a forum for students of the Central District of Krasnoyarsk, he urged young people to sign contracts and go to war after compulsory military service, calling it a "heroic act." He also spoke at a "Lesson of Courage" at the Krasnoyarsk Cooperative College of Economics, Commerce, and Law.
Klaus himself said he voluntarily joined the "Black Panther" unit and signed a contract in August 2023. He took part in assaults near Avdiivka, Pisky, and Vodyane, serving as a machine gunner and medic. After a concussion and arm injury, Klaus returned to Krasnoyarsk. In 2025, he said he wanted to go back to war as a medic or machine gunner.
Sources differ: Agentstvo reports that Klaus was convicted of extortion in 2021, while other outlets, including Novaya Gazeta Europe and The Moscow Times, do not mention his criminal record.