Dariia Zarivna, Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office and Chief Operating Officer of Bring Kids Back UA, and Andriy Kovalenko, Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, took part in the presentation of the analytical report “Militarization of Ukrainian Children in the Occupied Territories of Ukraine”.
Dariia Zarivna emphasized that the militarization of Ukrainian children is part of Russia's deliberate state policy, enshrined in law and financed by the Kremlin.
“Ukrainian children in the occupied territories become victims of ideological manipulation, they lose their identity and childhood. These are not individual initiatives, but a large-scale policy based on the historical practices of the Russian Empire and the USSR. Therefore, the issue of bringing back the children deported by Russia is extremely important for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” she said.
Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation Andriy Kovalenko stressed the importance of countering the crimes of militarization of Ukrainian children.
“Children from the occupied territories are already being used in activities against our state, including for finding and recruiting teenagers in Ukrainian-controlled territory for sabotage and espionage. Our task is to find those involved, gather evidence and work with other agencies on punishment and sanctions,” he said.
The report was prepared by the Center for Countering Disinformation and the Bring Kids Back UA team.
It will serve as a basis for new international advocacy campaigns aimed at stopping violations of children's rights and returning them to Ukraine; it will also be presented to members of the Bring Kids Back UA Task Force, co-chaired by Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, Director of the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute. The report includes an analysis of the methods used by Russia to involve children in military training, foster loyalty to the Russian army, and eradicate Ukrainian identity. Special attention is paid to the role of organizations, particularly "Yunarmiya," which serves as a central tool in the militarization of Ukrainian children.
