How Russia Recruits Ukrainian Children in Occupied Areas Against Their Country

Russia uses a paramilitary youth organization called "Yunarmiya" to secure the loyalty of teenagers in occupied areas of Ukraine to Moscow and prepare them for war against their country. The investigative unit of the Ukrainian section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and partner media have obtained unpublished documents from Moscow-appointed entities in the occupied areas of Ukraine that prove the establishment and development of "Yunarmiya" coinciding with Russia's military invasion. History and Goals of Yunarmiya "Yunarmiya" or the Young Army was established in 2016 at the initiative of Sergei Shoigu, the then Minister of Defense of Russia. This organization claims to have 1.3 million members, and teenagers and even children as young as eight can join by filling out a questionnaire in a mobile app. The organization claims to spiritually, morally, socially, and mentally nurture cadets (teen members) and strengthen positive motivations for defending the constitution. Its goal is also to prepare children and teenagers for service in the Russian armed forces. Influence of Yunarmiya in Occupied Areas Russia opened the first branch of the "Yunarmiya" organization a few months after its establishment in the occupied Crimea region. According to an expert from the civil education center "Almenda" (a Ukrainian entity documenting children's rights violations in wartime), branches and formations of this organization expanded throughout the Crimean Peninsula since September 2016. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and began supporting separatists in the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces located in Donbas in eastern Ukraine. Following this, Yunarmiya expanded its activities in these areas as well. According to statistics and documents from the Russian Ministry of Defense in January 2022, just one month before the start of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, "Yunarmiya" had only 29,000 members in Crimea. Meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Yunarmiya Members In 2017, members of this organization participated in the Victory Day parade of World War II held annually on May 9 in Moscow. This year, a group of teenagers and children from the occupied Luhansk province also attended a similar ceremony in Novosibirsk, the center of the Siberian federal district. Since 2023, "Yunarmiya Houses" have been established in Luhansk and Donetsk provinces. These centers, funded by Russia, conduct sports training, shooting, and basic military training courses for children and teenagers. Violations of International Laws Ukrainian law enforcement has filed charges against officials of "Yunarmiya" in Crimea for violating the Geneva Convention, which prohibits "propaganda aimed at voluntary recruitment of civilians in wartime." Irina Sedova, an expert from the Crimea Human Rights Group, stated that the activities of this organization violate international human rights laws. She described these actions as brainwashing children and turning them into involuntary paramilitary forces. Sanctions and International Reactions On November 19, 2023, the UK government sanctioned "Yunarmiya," describing it as a paramilitary organization and an effective tool of Vladimir Putin's policies for the "forced transfer and brainwashing of Ukrainian teenagers." The UK stated that this organization actively participates in Russia's efforts to erase Ukrainian culture and identity. The UK's sanctions coincided with reports indicating that Russia had begun the first wave of conscription from the occupied areas of Ukraine. Role of Yunarmiya in the Ukraine War After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many former members of Yunarmiya joined the Russian army. This organization has effectively become a tool for transferring children and teenagers from educational programs to active service in the Russian army. Reports indicate that the Russian government offers special privileges to encourage former members of this organization to join the army. Viktor Kurov, the deputy head of Yunarmiya, emphasized that the performance of the organization's branches is evaluated based on the number of members who join the Russian army. Two boys from Yunarmiya members at an event in the Russian-occupied Crimea in August 2019. Expansion of Influence in Newly Occupied Areas After the occupation of the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces in 2022, Yunarmiya's activities expanded in these areas. Centers called "Yunarmiya Houses" were established, which not only provide military skills training but also promote Kremlin political ideology among teenagers. Russian-appointed entities in the occupied areas of Ukraine announced in November 2022 that branches of "Yunarmiya" had also been established in the Russian-controlled areas of Kherson and Zaporizhia provinces. The head of "Yunarmiya" in the Zaporizhia region, a Russian man named Bikbolatov, has been accused by Ukrainian security agencies of widespread arrest and abduction of opponents, illegal extradition, and the forced transfer of minors from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. Bikbolatov stated in an interview with partner media of the investigative unit of the Ukrainian section of Radio Free Europe that, according to "Yunarmiya," the lives of the teenage members of this organization are linked to service in the Russian armed forces. He added, "We see this potential capacity in them and expect that they will join the army in the future. We train them, work with them, and want them to become military personnel. Even the Ministry of Defense gives special privileges to former members of Yunarmiya. But all this is done voluntarily." Evidence indicates that the leadership of "Yunarmiya" evaluates the performance of its branches at least partly based on the number of former members of these units who join the Russian army. Viktor Kurov, the deputy head of "Yunarmiya," stated in a letter to the heads of the organization's branches in October this year regarding the annual and mandatory "competitive assessment" that the basis for this assessment includes two factors: "the number of members of each branch of this organization who have been sent to the army or enrolled in military academies and the number who have registered in military training centers." The headquarters of "Yunarmiya" in Moscow did not respond to calls for comments on the activities of this organization. One of the new branches of this organization was recently established in the port city of Mariupol. This summer, this branch conducted seven training courses at a camp located on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov, part of which included shooting training. An image of the Yunarmiya branch in Mariupol, Ukraine, a city occupied by Russian forces after a long and devastating siege in the spring of 2022. "Yunarmiya" is a key tool in Russia's policies to control the occupied areas of Ukraine. This organization seeks to turn teenagers into effective forces in Kremlin military policies through brainwashing children, military training, and creating cultural dependency on Russia. While international reactions against the activities of this organization have increased, the expansion of Yunarmiya's influence in the occupied areas indicates that Russia continues to use this tool to solidify its influence.