Russia Operates 200 Camps to Militarize Ukrainian Children

Russia is reportedly running a network of over 200 camps designed to “re-educate, Russify, and militarise” Ukrainian children, according to an investigation by the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health. The report, titled Ukraine’s Stolen Children: Inside Russia’s Network of Re-Education and Militarization, highlights that since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, children have been taken to various facilities across Russia and in occupied territories of Ukraine.

These facilities include schools, military bases, medical centres, religious sites, and universities. The investigation indicates that at least 130 camps focus on indoctrinating children with pro-Russian propaganda. This process includes exposing them to narratives that reinforce Russian national identity. Alarmingly, the report also identifies at least 39 camps aimed specifically at military training. Children as young as eight years old have allegedly undergone weapons training, participated in grenade-throwing contests, and received instruction in tactical medicine.

Nathaniel Raymond, director of the Humanitarian Research Lab, commented on the findings: “What we have here is an unprecedented network of facilities, expressly built and expanded since 2014, to turn Ukrainian children into Russians. It is a pipeline for Ukraine’s children to be re-educated – brainwashed – and turned into soldiers.”

Some children from occupied areas of Ukraine have reported being forcibly taken to these military-style camps, where they are trained to fight for Russia. The investigation suggests that nearly a quarter of the camps studied are expanding, indicating that Russia is preparing to admit more children. Notably, two additional camps are currently under construction.

Researchers utilized open-source materials, including public documents from Russia and high-resolution satellite images, to gather information. They confirmed the presence of children at many of the sites using at least five independent sources. Approximately half of the camps appear to be managed directly by the Russian government, according to official documentation.

The implications of these findings are significant, as they expose the full scale of Russia’s child deportation network for the first time. The report strengthens ongoing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, asserting that the forced deportation and military training of children contravene international laws, including the Geneva Conventions and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

As the situation continues to evolve, the international community remains concerned about the implications for the affected children and the broader context of the conflict in Ukraine.