Cult of "heroic warrior" created among Ukrainian children in Crimea

In the occupied Crimea, children are actively involved in war propaganda, forcing them to support the army of the aggressor state. Schoolchildren and teenagers are used in "patriotic" videos and camps, turning them into a tool of militarization.

This was reported by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

The occupation authorities of the peninsula continue to use children and youth for military propaganda. For example, in the city of Kezlzhv (Yevpatoria), members of the Victory Volunteers movement recorded a video supporting the Russian military involved in the so-called "special military operation" on the occasion of the Day of National Unity.

In this way, children and adolescents in the temporarily occupied territories are deliberately involved in war propaganda, forcing them to express "gratitude" to the army of the aggressor state and creating a false impression of war as a heroic cause.

In theArtek International Children's Center, the occupiers unveiled a bust of Nazar Yenin, who died as part of Russian troops in Donetsk region, with the participation of representatives of the Russian authorities, including Serhiy Kiriyenko. This is the 27th bust on the "Alley of Artek Heroes," which was previously dedicated to the children of World War II victims. In this way, the occupiers are trying to weave Russia's current aggression into the Soviet narrative of the fight against fascism. Such stories are used to form the cult of the "military hero" among children.

The occupiers also organize "patriotic" camps where children are taught military affairs, forced to sing the Russian anthem and repeat propaganda slogans.

The Coordination Resource Center emphasized that these actions constitute a systemic violation of children's rights aimed at "zombification" and displacement of Ukrainian identity through manipulation, forced Russian language education and the use of children in propaganda.

In the occupied part of the Kherson region, children are forced to participate in Russian military-patriotic programs, effectively preparing schoolchildren for military service. Those who refuse are persecuted and punished, while participants are encouraged with benefits and rewards.

Human rights activists warn that if the abduction of Ukrainian children is not stopped, Russia could obtain up to 1.6 million Ukrainian children and use them for its own propaganda and military purposes - against the security of Europe and the world.

Анна Бальчінос