Russian Propaganda in Crimea: Militarizing Education for Youth

In the temporarily occupied Crimea, the Russians organized another propaganda performance for young people. Representatives of the Storm assault unit of the 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Federation, a unit staffed not only by mobilized soldiers but also by former prisoners, including those convicted of serious crimes, spoke to the students.

According to the National Resistance Center, this event took place within the framework of the so-called "opening of the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland" - an event that was another attempt by the occupation administration to impose the cult of war on the younger generation. The propagandists tried to create the illusion of mass support, but most of those present in the hall - students, teachers and employees of state-funded institutions - came there not of their own free will, but by order of the occupation authorities.

The Center noted that the Russian military seeks not only to promote militarism among young people, but also to prepare them for mobilization. Universities have a system of forced recruitment of so-called "volunteers", and students are forced to participate in activities aimed at forming loyalty to the occupation regime.

The Russians have actually turned educational institutions into propaganda centers, where, under the guise of "military-patriotic education," young people are taught to obey and the idea of the invaders' "heroism" is imposed. At the same time, the occupation authorities are trying to hide the real losses of the Russian army by recruiting new participants in the war.

In addition, in the Crimean branch of the Russian State University of Justice, girls were ordered to make valentines for the Russian military. Moreover, the students are offered to leave their contacts on the cards - under the pretext that "real heroes" are better than local Crimeans, who mostly have a negative attitude towards the occupation authorities.

The invaders also set up engineering classes in the temporarily occupied territories, where they teach teenagers to assemble drones for the needs of the Russian army.

Earlier, Intent wrote about how the occupiers force schoolchildren to make parts for weapons in Crimea.

Ірина Глухова