As of March 1, 2025, Russian occupation authorities claim that nearly 5,800 children in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) of Luhansk region have been enlisted into the “Youth Army” — a Kremlin-controlled militarized organization often compared to the Hitler Youth. Additionally, 50,000 schoolchildren have been drawn into another Russian propaganda project called the “Movement of the First.” For those who still resist, there is yet another initiative: “Eagles of Russia.” This was reported by the so-called “Minister of Education” of the occupation administration, Ivan Kusov.
Children in these programs are indoctrinated with the belief that Ukraine is their enemy and that they are Russians. They are taught that serving in the Kremlin’s military is not only normal but honorable. Critical thinking is deliberately suppressed because independent thought is what the occupiers fear most. In the TOT of Ukraine, thinking itself is treated as a crime.
Moreover, reports indicate that members of these organizations are forced to work, exploited in propaganda-driven “humanitarian missions,” and subjected to an intensive campaign of Russian ideological narratives.
You can stop the policy of the Russian invaders and their collaborators by publicizing their crimes and demanding their international prosecution. You can also participate in rallies in support of Ukraine or donate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
