Children are being brainwashed to love Russia in occupied Ukraine
(MENAFN) In occupied eastern Ukraine, efforts to instill loyalty to Russia among children are beginning at an early age. At a nursery in Luhansk, over 70 young children are made to stand in formation holding a black-and-orange military banner shaped like the letter Z—a symbol of Russia’s invasion.
Elsewhere in the city, young girls chant “I’m Russian” as a patriotic anthem blasts from loudspeakers in front of a Russian flag. In Anthracite, another occupied town, children in nurseries are crafting trench candles and blankets to be sent to Russian soldiers.
These activities are part of a systematic campaign aimed at erasing Ukrainian national identity and turning the younger generation against their own country. With many Ukrainian teachers having fled the occupied territories, Russia has begun offering 2 million roubles (approximately $22,000 USD) to Russian educators willing to move and work in these areas.
A central force in this effort is Yunarmia, or the Youth Army—a Russian Defence Ministry–affiliated group that enrolls children as young as eight. While the group operates across Russia, it has now expanded into occupied Ukrainian territories.
Fidail Bikbulatov, who oversees Yunarmia’s presence in the Zaporizhzhia region, described its mission as providing children with “basic skills” useful for future military service. Bikbulatov himself was sent from Russia’s Bashkortostan, where he previously led the youth division of the ruling United Russia party.
The campaign highlights Moscow’s push to reshape identity in occupied regions—starting with the youngest minds.
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