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Russia deports 40,000 Ukrainian children, forces assimilation via “patriotic re-education” camps

Ukrainian children are being relocated as far as 8,000 kilometers (4,970 miles) from their homes and taught by a curriculum designed to “eradicate national identity” and “forcibly assimilate Ukrainian children.”
byOksana Ostapchuk
03/09/2024
2 minute read
so-called dedication ceremony students milove secondary school become members russia's paramilitary organization yunarmia occupied sorokyne luhansk oblast april 2023 lug-inforu 1715183098_453651_42
So-called “dedication ceremony for students of Milove secondary school to become members” of Russia’s paramilitary organization Yunarmia. Occupied Sorokyne, Luhansk Oblast, April 2023. Image: lug-info.ru.
Russia deports 40,000 Ukrainian children, forces assimilation via “patriotic re-education” camps

Russian-installed authorities deported 40,000 children from occupied Ukrainian territories during the summer of 2024, according to the Regional Center for Human Rights.

This latest wave is part of an ongoing deliberate Russian policy to deport Ukrainian children to Russia, according to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) report. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) also issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights, for unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.

The Regional Center for Human Rights documented the relocation of Ukrainian kids to various locations in Russia, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, and Tula, with some facilities located as far as 8,000 kilometers (4,970 miles) from the Ukrainian border. 

The transfers were carried out under the pretext of recreational and “patriotic education” activities in specialized facilities. They are reportedly designed to “eradicate national identity” and “forcibly assimilate Ukrainian children,” according to the Regional Center for Human Rights.

Activities at these camps allegedly include intense propaganda sessions aimed at fostering loyalty to Russia, as well as military training. 

The Center’s analysts have identified 13 re-education camps in occupied Ukrainian territories, 18 in Belarus, and 67 in Russia. Their curriculum includes shooting with automatic rifles, parachuting, drone operation, and landmine placement.

According to Ukraine’s National informational bureau, Ukraine identified 19,546 deported children, with only 388 of them returned to Ukraine as of September 2024.

The Regional Center for Human Rights argues that these actions potentially constitute international crimes. 

“The international community must unite to punish the guilty and defend the rights of Ukrainian children,” the report states.

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