Russia’s ‘Hitler Youth’ - Russian occupiers in Crimea organize military training for children

6 November 2023, 06:46 PM

Russian occupiers in Crimea have organized military training for children, as revealed in a Nov. 6 report by Crimea.Realities. The report follows a segment aired on Russia-1 TV that highlighted the “School of Young Commanders” established by the pro-Putin youth movement Yunarmia in the region.

In the segment, it was revealed that children are being taught various military skills, including navigating through forests, disarming landmines, handling firearms, and throwing grenades.

Approximately 230 children participated in these training sessions, with 70 of them hailing from the regions of Ukraine currently under Russian aggression, Crimea.Realities reported.

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Crimea. Realities, a screenshot from the story Russia-1 TV
Photo: Crimea. Realities, a screenshot from the story Russia-1 TV
Crimea. Realities, a screenshot from the story Russia-1 TV
Photo: Crimea. Realities, a screenshot from the story Russia-1 TV

Ukrainian human rights activists have repeatedly raised concerns about the militarization of children’s education in occupied Crimea. Furthermore, the Yunarmia movement is under sanctions from the United States, Ukraine, Canada, and Switzerland.

According to the movement’s website, it currently has more than one million child members, and anyone aged 8 to 18 can join Yunarmia.

The Vesti Crimea TV segment claimed that teenagers aged 14 to 15 participated in the so-called training sessions.

Previously, Dmytro Lubinets, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada, had stated that occupiers in Sevastopol had organized military training courses for children.

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