Russia’s Militarization of Ukrainian Teenagers in Occupied Areas Uncovered

In a troubling development across occupied Ukrainian territories, Russia is expanding its systematic militarization of Ukrainian youth through a propaganda program masked as journalism training. The initiative, known as “Young Correspondents” or “Yunkor,” actively recruits teenagers to spread invasion narratives and create pro-Moscow content, according to a recent investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

The coastal town of Henichesk on the Azov Sea, one of the first areas to fall under Russian control in 2022, provides a stark example of this transformation. A local teenager named Kateryna, who once promoted Ukrainian language in videos, underwent a complete ideological shift. By 2025, she had received an 800,000-ruble ($10,500) grant from a Russian youth agency to develop “patriotic education” in occupied territories.

The “Yunkor” program operates under the umbrella of “Yunarmia,” a militarized youth organization backed by Russia’s Ministry of Defense. While outwardly presenting itself as a journalism club, internal documents reveal a more sinister purpose – training participants to become “information warriors” for the Russian cause.

During training sessions, Ksenia Barladyan, head of the Yunarmia press service, explicitly tells teenagers that “the internet is a battlefield” and frames their work as a contribution to Russia’s victory in the information war. This messaging leaves little doubt about the program’s actual objectives.

The indoctrination process extends beyond local training. Groups of teenagers from occupied Ukrainian territories are regularly transported to Moscow for media forums under the supervision of Russian military personnel. Some of these supervisors are individuals suspected of war crimes, according to Ukrainian authorities.

In the summer of 2023, one such forum featured master classes taught by Russian state television propagandists who instructed students how to portray Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a positive development. The teenagers were also photographed meeting with veterans of Russia’s war against Ukraine, further normalizing the military conflict.

Human rights defenders emphasize that implementing Russian educational curriculum in occupied territories violates international law. Experts equate such propaganda efforts to coercing individuals to serve in the ranks of occupying forces – a serious violation of the rights of protected persons under the Geneva Conventions.

Psychologists note that teenagers in occupied areas lack access to alternative information sources and often adopt imposed narratives as a survival mechanism. By accepting Russian propaganda, young people can maintain a sense of safety and remain part of their social environment, despite the profound manipulation of their worldview.

The transformation is evident in numerous cases across occupied regions. Teenagers like Maryna from Kherson region and Polina and Yelisey from Luhansk region now participate in military games, create videos comparing current events to World War II narratives, and employ hate speech toward Ukraine – all clear indicators of successful indoctrination.

The military connection is unmistakable. Alexey Linev, a 48-year-old Russian sergeant who led a grenade-launcher unit, served as an instructor for teenage groups in occupied regions. While Russian media presented him as a mentor, Ukrainian authorities suspected him of war crimes specifically related to his role in the militarization of children. His involvement with youth programs ended only when Russian media reported his death in combat less than a year after beginning his work with these groups.

Russia’s propaganda campaign extends beyond the “Yunkor” program into the broader educational system. The Kremlin has introduced comic books in schools that portray participants in Russia’s invasion as heroes. These graphic novels, distributed to students in grades 5 through 9, feature military figures accused of war crimes by Ukraine and the European Union, including Vladislav Golovin, who faces sanctions for his role in Mariupol’s capture and children’s militarization.

According to Russia’s Znanie Society, over 720,000 copies of these materials have been printed, demonstrating the scale of this effort to instill a particular brand of “patriotism” in young minds.

Human rights activists warn that this combination of Russian education, forced Russian citizenship through passport issuance, and mandatory oaths of allegiance forms a unified system aimed at completely erasing Ukrainian national identity among children in occupied territories – a process that raises serious concerns about potential violations of children’s rights under international law.