«They take them from the age of 8»: how the Yunarmiya militarises Ukrainian children in the occupied territories

In the occupied territories of Ukraine, the paramilitary group «Yunarmiya» operates, training Ukrainian children to fight against Ukraine. The group recruits children as young as 8 years old. It provides not only military training but also exerts a significant propaganda influence.

This was reported by Daria Kurenna, a journalist with the Donbas.Realii project, on Hromadske Radio.

According to Kurenna, the activities of Yunarmiya have gained significant momentum in the occupied Ukrainian territories since the start of the full-scale invasion. The organization has become a source of recruits for the Russian army. Ukrainian children are essentially being forced to participate in its activities.

«Parents can write a statement refusing to allow their children to join the group, but the occupation authorities, teachers, and school principals often threaten them with serious consequences. As a result, parents are hesitant to refuse, fearing repercussions like having their children removed from their families or being accused of espionage», — Kurenna explains.

According to Kurenna, there are two types of members in Yunarmiya. First are the children of officials, who mainly attend competitions and training camps in places like the Caucasus and Crimea. Second are the children of ordinary citizens, who undergo more intensive military training and face difficult physical tests.

«Children complain that their physical education classes in school are easier compared to the training they endure in Yunarmiya. They are taught how to assemble and disassemble weapons, shoot, and now even study tactical medicine, aerial reconnaissance, and the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles», — Kurenna adds.

The journalist also explains that the recruitment age for Yunarmiya has been lowered. Previously, children were accepted from the age of 14, but now, with parental consent, children as young as 8 can be enrolled. From that age, they become part of the military propaganda machine, where they are taught that they must kill Ukrainians or risk being killed by them.

Russian priests and propaganda

In addition, Russian priests in the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region, who are also members of the Russian Guard, are urging local children to join the Russian army.

The occupiers are conducting «military-patriotic» exercises for junior soldiers and voluntary youth squads in Melitopol. These activities include training in firearms handling, tactical medicine, and political indoctrination.

According to the CNS, the involvement of the so-called «cassocked FSB» in these activities has become systematic. It is reported that Russian priests are «following Kremlin methodologies and using spiritual values to recruit individuals into Putin’s army of murderers and rapists.»