Securitizing Russian: Implications for Language Teaching

In contemporary geopolitical and security environments, foreign languages are increasingly viewed through the lens of strategic relevance and risk. This paper examines how Russian is discursively repositioned from an educational resource to a security-sensitive subject within military learning contexts. Drawing on securitization theory and language policy, it demonstrates that ongoing geopolitical developments and security-related narratives reshape the framing of Russian as a strategically significant language. Rather than diminishing its operational value, this shift transforms the conditions under which Russian is taught. The analysis highlights emerging tensions between military requirements and perceived ideological sensitivities, shaping curricular choices, content filtering, and instructional practices. Using the Bulgarian military educational context as an illustrative case, the paper identifies adaptive teaching practices that respond to these constraints and support educational resilience in BANI-type environments.