Russia weaponizes Ukrainian children in occupied territories. Ukraine singles out those responsible

Ukraine's military intelligence has identified 10 individuals and two institutions responsible for teaching Ukrainian children in occupied territories weapon-handling skills and preparing them for Russian military service. These individuals are alleged to use youth groups, occupation education authorities, and schools to erase children's Ukrainian identity and prepare them for service in the Russian military.

The Ukrainian intelligence agency has not pressed charges or imposed sanctions but aims to document the system and hold those accountable. The Kremlin-backed Movement of the First was involved in a May 2026 competition where children were taught weapon and explosives handling, as well as drone operation. The training is part of a larger school system where occupation schools will introduce a separate basic military-training track and a new Russian ideology class alongside behavior grades.

Over 582,000 children across nearly 2,000 schools are now studying under the imposed Russian curriculum. Russia is also embedding combat preparation more deeply, with "Cossack classes" becoming compulsory for fifth-graders in four occupied Donbas cities. In Crimea, occupation authorities have built a pipeline to select schoolchildren for drone training, ultimately leading to the Russian military reserve.

The policy has a long-term goal, with Putin's 2025 strategy aiming for a 95% "Russian civic identity" target for occupied populations by 2036. Ukraine has previously pursued individual organizers through criminal cases, accusing a Crimea occupation official of using schools and military camps to indoctrinate pupils and encourage enlistment in Russia's forces.