Last Updated:
Ukrainian Children as young as eight have reportedly been put through weapons training, grenade-throwing contests, and classes on tactical medicine
Children hold placards and listen to speeches following a Ukraine Solidarity Campaign march demanding ‘Russia return Ukrainian children’. (AFP file photo)
Russia is operating a vast network of more than 200 camps aimed at “re-educating, Russifying, and militarising” Ukrainian children, according to a new investigation cited by The Guardian.
The investigation, carried out by the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, reveals that since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, children have been taken to facilities across Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories. These include schools, military bases, medical centres, religious sites and universities.
Recommended Stories
According to the report titled Ukraine’s Stolen Children: Inside Russia’s Network of Re-Education and Militarization, at least 130 of these camps are involved in efforts to re-educate children by exposing them to pro-Russia propaganda. Many of the children are subjected to “patriotic indoctrination” to align them with Russian national narratives.
Even more alarming, the report found that at least 39 of the sites focus on militarisation programmes. Children as young as eight have reportedly been put through weapons training, grenade-throwing contests, and classes on tactical medicine. Some are also taught how to assemble drones for the Russian armed forces.
“What we have here is an unprecedented network of facilities, expressly built and expanded since 2014, to turn Ukrainian children into Russians,” said Nathaniel Raymond, director of the Humanitarian Research Lab. “It is a pipeline for Ukraine’s children to be re-educated – brainwashed – and turned into soldiers.”
The Guardian earlier reported that some children from occupied areas of Ukraine described being forcibly taken to these military-style camps and trained to be ready to fight for Russia.
Nearly a quarter of the sites studied are reportedly expanding, suggesting that Russia is preparing to receive even more children. At least two additional camps are currently under construction.
Researchers collected the information using open-source material, including Russia’s own public documents and high-resolution satellite images. They verified the presence of children at many of the sites using at least five independent sources.
Around half of the camps appear to be directly managed by the Russian government, based on official documentation.
The findings mark the first time the full scale of Russia’s child deportation network has been revealed. The report strengthens ongoing accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It argues that the forced deportation and military training of children violates international laws, including the Geneva Conventions and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
About the Author
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
Russia
September 16, 2025, 21:59 IST
Loading comments…
Read More
