“Stolen childhood: how Russia prepares Ukrainian children for war in occupation and deportation.”

Press Conference: "Stolen Childhood. How Russia Prepares Ukrainian Children for War in Occupied Territories and through Deportation"

On March 26 at 12:00, a press conference titled "Stolen Childhood. How Russia Prepares Ukrainian Children for War in Occupied Territories and through Deportation" took place at Media Center Ukraine - Ukrinform.

The participants of the event included:
- Iryna Suslova – Representative of the Commissioner for Children's Rights at the Ombudsman's Office of Ukraine;
- Olga Skrypnyk – Head of the Board of the Crimean Human Rights Group;
- Maria Sulyalina – Head of the Civic Education Center Almenda;
- Khrystyna Shkudor – Advocacy Manager of the “Where Are Our People?” campaign, PR Army NGO;
- Vladyslav Havrylov – historian and researcher of the “Where Are Our People?” campaign, PR Army NGO;
- Representative of the Office of the Prosecutor General.

Why is this important?
The press conference highlighted that Russia systematically commits war crimes in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, particularly through the militarization of Ukrainian children. This is part of the aggressor country's policy aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity and assimilating children to create a future "mobilization reserve" for the Russian army.

According to Mariia Sulyalina, more than 1.6 million children live in the occupied territories of Ukraine, with at least 100,000 involved in Russian youth organizations such as "Yunarmiya" and "Movement of the First." The occupiers also establish "cadet classes," where children are subjected to military training and exposed to pro-Russian propaganda.

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Khrystyna Shkudor reported that Russia has deported around 250,000 Ukrainian children, while Russian authorities claim this number could reach 744,000. Russia changes these children’s documents, making their return to Ukraine almost impossible.

This issue is deeply concerning, as Russia uses children for its ideological and military purposes, violating all international standards for the protection of children's rights.

The organization of the conference was supported by Ukrainian Helsinki Human Union and USAID. Watch the press conference