Russia Fuels Hatred of Ukraine in Children on Occupied Territories

Russia is intensifying efforts to militarize and indoctrinate children in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, investing billions of rubles in what Ukrainian officials warn is an attempt to cultivate future soldiers and loyal Kremlin followers, The Gaze reports.

The campaign includes the expansion of several key programs:

• The “Yunarmiya” movement is being scaled up to train youth for Russia’s Ministry of Defense, grooming children for military service.

• A growing network of so-called “military-patriotic centers” is being established to teach children strategy and tactics. One such center has already been launched in Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhia region.

• The “Dvizhenie Pervykh” (Movement of the First) is being used to draw children into political engagement that aligns with Kremlin ideology.

• Schools in the occupied areas are also increasing the number of specialized cadet classes supervised by security structures, preparing students to enter law enforcement and military ranks after graduation.

Ukrainian officials are sounding the alarm over the psychological harm inflicted on young people in occupied territories.

“Earlier, the enemy’s goal was to make children love Russia. Now their goal is to make them hate Ukraine,” said Ivan Fedorov, Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration.

He further emphasized that  the funding for children's propaganda has doubled or even tripled.

As The Gaze previously reported, Russia is planning a large-scale deportation of more than 50,000 Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied Donetsk region under the pretense of summer “vacations” in Russia.