Russia Indoctrinating Ukrainian Children to Fight in Its War
A recent investigation by the Kyiv Independent reveals that high-ranking Russian officers are orchestrating military training programs for Ukrainian children from occupied territories. These programs, run by the Warrior Center for Military and Patriotic Education, were established in 2022 by a direct order from Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian teenagers from occupied regions are subjected to combat-style drills, including drone operation and firearms training, at camps such as the “Time of Young Heroes.” The Warrior Center’s leadership includes Russian State Duma deputies and Russian Armed Forces colonels with backgrounds in conflicts such as Chechnya and Syria, who have been implicated in war crimes. In 2024 alone, 1,290 Ukrainian children underwent these militarization programs in Volgograd.
John Q. Hosedrinker