Russia’s Occupation Fuels Water Crisis and Child Indoctrination in Ukraine – ISW
Russia’s occupation of parts of Ukraine is creating worsening humanitarian and public health risks as water systems fail and thousands of Ukrainian children are sent to Russia for indoctrination, according to a new report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), The Gaze reports.
In its July 22 assessment, ISW warned that large areas of occupied Donetsk and Zaporizhia oblasts are now experiencing extreme water shortages and deteriorating sanitary conditions.
Key reservoirs, including the Khanzhenkivske Reservoir on the Krynka River — a main source of drinking water — have run dry, while the Don-Donbas canal is reaching critically low levels. Residents now receive water for only a few hours every three days, and some are resorting to unhygienic alternatives such as makeshift toilet waste disposal with plastic bags.
Russian occupation authorities publicly claim they are solving the crisis, blaming Ukraine for a so-called “water blockade.” However, ISW attributes the collapse of water infrastructure to Russia’s occupation and neglect, noting that Russia has failed to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilian populations in occupied territories.
Meanwhile, Russia is escalating its Russification campaign among Ukrainian children. ISW documents that occupation authorities have sent hundreds of children from occupied Zaporizhia and Donetsk regions to Russian-run summer camps and military-patriotic training centers.
These include programs like the “Avangard” military camp and “University Shifts” designed to instill loyalty to Russia, military skills, and Kremlin-approved historical narratives.
Additionally, Russia is rewriting history curricula in occupied areas. New textbooks on the “History of Donbas and Novorossiya” are being prepared for grades 5–9, set to be introduced in the upcoming school year. By 2026–2027, schools will also begin teaching “Spiritual and Moral Culture of Russia,” further embedding Kremlin ideology into Ukrainian classrooms under occupation.
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