Russia occupied Anton’s home when he was 10. At 18, he volunteered to fight against Ukraine

Anton's childhood home was occupied by Russia when he was just 10 years old. As an adult, he enlisted in Russia's military to defend what he believed was his homeland, proudly referring to Vladimir Putin as "my President." Since 2014, Moscow has systematically replaced Ukrainian schools, media, and public institutions in the occupied territories of Donbas, promoting the regions as permanent parts of Russia.

The BBC interviewed several Ukrainian-born residents who said they voluntarily enlisted to fight against Ukraine. However, a prisoner from Donetsk Oblast claimed he was forced to fight, expressing a desire to return to his wife and children. Intelligence estimates suggest that Russia forcibly conscripted over 50,000 Ukrainians in occupied areas, though other estimates may be higher.

According to Article 51 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, occupying powers are prohibited from compelling protected residents to serve in their armed forces. The Russian government's 2025 policy decree aims to achieve a 95% rate of "all-Russian civic identity" by 2036 through the integration of occupied Ukrainian regions into Russian education, culture, and media.

A Kherson-based outlet reported that Russia will introduce compulsory textbooks on September 1, portraying four occupied Ukrainian regions as historically Russian. Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation reported in 2025 that over 100 teenagers from occupied Luhansk attended a Russian military camp, where they received firearms, drill, and guard-duty training.

These teenagers were described as pro-Russian, with a blurred national identity, and Ukraine still considers them Ukrainian, viewing Russia's control of their home regions as temporary.