12 October 2026

Occupiers in the Kherson region have begun setting up a pseudo-Cossack organization to work with young people

(ILLUSTRATION: Intent/AI)

The occupiers announced plans to establish a Cossack youth organization in the Kherson region. They intend to integrate this organization into the all-Russian system in order to receive state funding and grants. 

This was reported by the Center for the Study of the Occupation. 

According to the occupiers themselves, there are already more than 300 Cossacks in the Kherson region. Now they want to unite them into a separate organization, an official structure. 

It is also worth noting that in other occupied territories, Cossack organizations are already involved in working with schoolchildren, cadet classes, and military-patriotic education. Similar initiatives are being prepared in the Kherson region. 

In this way, Russia is expanding its network of organizations through which it integrates the population of the temporarily occupied territories into its own ideological and military-patriotic system.

As Intent previously reported, the occupying authorities have planned to make changes to the school curriculum and the organization of the educational process in the temporarily occupied territories. Starting September 1, schools in the TOT will introduce a new subject titled “Spiritual and Moral Culture of the Russian Federation.”

This new subject is aimed at imposing Russian “skrep”(social bonds), religious and ideological concepts, and a distorted interpretation of history and traditions.

In addition, the course “Fundamentals of Homeland Security and Defense” will be divided into two separate tracks—“life safety” and basic military training.”

Юлія Калабайда

You may also like:

Nov. 4, 2026

The Kherson Gauleiter was sentenced to 15 years in prison and had his property confiscated

In the Odesa region, children committed an act of vandalism at a soldier's grave

A scheme to embezzle funds during the renovation of a swimming pool was uncovered in the Kherson region

A former SBU colonel was tried for collaborating with Russia during the occupation of Kherson

Nov. 3, 2026

Two fake tax officials from Kherson were sentenced to prison