To be fair the nerds aren't sent to the front lines they get to work in a drone unit.

This war won't be over until the Russian army starts conscription in Moscow. The Czar will happily empty out the villages in Siberia and the Caucasus.

They may or may not. I wouldn't like to take on this bet.

Most young people with a conscience (which is most people that like to read) leave to avoid conscription in an unjust war.

Drone units require good eyesight, reflexes, spatial orientation etc. FPS gamers are the best match, not coders.