Stolen Youth: Russian Military Indoctrination Camps Turning Ukrainian Children into Soldiers for Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly enlisting children from occupied territories in Ukraine to support his ongoing war effort.

Thousands of Ukrainian children are being sent to Russian military indoctrination camps, where they are trained in the use of advanced weaponry and drone operations.

These camps, established under Putin's directive, provide rigorous military training to young children from occupied Ukrainian regions. There are growing concerns that these children might be forced to join the Russian military and participate in combat.

Disturbing images have surfaced showing teenagers assembling Kalashnikov rifles and handling drones at one such camp. Other photos depict children practicing at shooting ranges and learning how to clear minefields, fueling fears that these young trainees could soon be deployed to the front lines.

Russian state media has openly discussed the placement of Ukrainian children in these camps, which are run by a Russian military organization called Voin. Reports indicate that over 330 children are housed in a single camp, with numbers including 44 from Zaporizhzhia, 59 from Kherson, 139 from Donetsk and 91 from Luhansk.

In addition to military training, these children are subjected to intense indoctrination and propaganda, part of Russia's broader effort to sway young minds.

Dmytro Lubinets, a senior human rights official in Kyiv, accused Moscow of implementing a nationwide brainwashing campaign to turn Ukrainian children into "full-fledged soldiers." He stated, "The Kremlin is forcibly forming a generation of Ukrainian children that are taught hatred and violence against everything Ukrainian."

One girl, identified as Valeriya N, 16, from the Kherson region, appeared in a video promoting the camps. She expressed her eagerness to learn about drone operations, stating, "[Russian military] can really teach you something here. I came here to learn how to operate UAVs [military drones]. The instructors here are experienced. They have been through the war." Another teenager, Iryna, shared her thoughts in a propaganda video, expressing empathy for civilians affected by the war and the terror of living under constant threat.

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These propaganda efforts aim to recruit more children from both occupied Ukraine and Russia into these military camps.

The camp's promotional material highlights the transformative experience, stating, "Summer is coming. A time of bold experimentation and limitless possibilities. A time to discover yourself, to open new horizons and go beyond what you're used to. This is where dreams come true, and strength turns into superpowers. This is where true leaders are made. It's time to step out into the real world, with full ammunition."

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for both Putin and the head of Russia's Children's Rights Department, accusing them of war crimes related to the abduction of Ukrainian children. Reports estimate that around 19,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported to Russia, with nearly 2,000 missing.