{"id":116850,"date":"2019-07-29T13:31:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-29T10:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/?p=116850"},"modified":"2020-05-08T23:52:43","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T20:52:43","slug":"putinjugend-children-for-russian-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/en\/putinjugend-children-for-russian-war","title":{"rendered":"Putinjugend: children for Russian war"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is a translation of the original InformNapalm<\/em> article<\/a>, authored by Andrzej Leszkiewicz<\/a> and Andrii Luchkov<\/a>. Translated by Hybrid Warfare Analytical Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Russia attacked Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, militaristic policy has become a norm for Russian society. Moreover, military propaganda is directed not only at the adults \u2014 it also targets children. The Kremlin actively influences the yet unshaped child identity and attempts to instill the idea that participation in Russian wars is a sacred duty of every citizen. Propaganda is amplified by the actual military training aimed at children with the goal of their future involvement into military operations. It should be noted that military propaganda efforts engulfs not only Russian children but also those living in the occupied territories as well as children from the countries allied with Russia (Belarus, Serbia). Such militarization constitutes a threat both for the underage children and for the states which are potential targets of Russian aggression \u2014 or have already become its victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specific facts and events related to intensive child militarization processes in Russia sometimes catch the attention of mass-media in Ukraine and worldwide. Nevertheless, this process deserves systematic scrutiny, as child militarization has already become an inseparable part of Russian governmental policy directed at getting the state ready for expanding military aggression. During the last 10 years a well-organized and far-reaching system of underage military training was built in Russia, which grows fast and engages more and more youth, including pre-school children. Instead of searching for and developing scientific, technical, cultural or humanitarian talents, the Kremlin chooses to build a multi-million army \u2014 it conducts large-scale search and selection of recruits, and gets them ready for the upcoming wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of May 8, 2019, more than 500,000 children joined the all-Russian militaristic movement \u201cYouth Army\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is a collection of data on a system of the underage military training in Russia, on the territories occupied by Russia and in the states allied to it. As for now, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Education, FSB [Federal Security Service], Ministry of Emergency Situations, Investigative Committee as well as other state bodies, Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), different paramilitary organizations are involved in the military training of children aged 3\u201318 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2009 President of Russian Federation Putin restored the Soviet paramilitary organization Voluntary Association for Assistance to Army, Air Force, and Navy. In its turn, it became a base for establishing the militarized children\u2019s organization \u201cYouth Army\u201d. Putin and Shoigu (Russian Minister of Defense) created the\u201cYouth Army\u201d in 2015\u20132016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Training of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On June 21, 2018, State Duma MP, armed forces colonel Roman Romanenko became a Head of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d General Staff. \u201cYouth Army\u201d General Staff is comprised both of the armed forces representatives and various statesmen, politicians, propagandists, athletes, e.g.: Head of the Defense Ministry\u2019s Personnel Directorate, Colonel Mikhail Baryshev; Head of State Patriotic Education Department at the Armed Forces Main Personnel Directorate, Colonel Sergey Gusev; President of Military Tactical Games Federation, actor, producer, anchor Mikhail Galustyan, International Olympic Committee member Russian Federation Armed Forces Major Elena Isinbayeva; general producer of \u201cMatch TV\u201d federal TV-channel, producer, anchor Tina Kandelaki; daughter of Russian Minister of Defense Ksenia Shoigu; Dmitriy Rogozin\u2019s son Alexey Rogozin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    General Vladimir Shamanov, a former Russian Air Force commander who has been accused of complicity for war crimes in Chechnya, became the Head of Moscow division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Uniform (tan-colored trousers and boots, red caps and red T-shirts with a logo \u2014 an eagle with his head turned right, a star as a symbol of Russian armed Forces and \u201cYouth Army\u201d inscription) has been designed by Russian Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    One of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d curators in the Russian Ministry of Defense, Deputy Minister and armed forces General Nikolai Pankov announced in 2017 that there are no plans for the rapid growth of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d. Nevertheless, by November 2018 the \u201cYouth Army\u201d confirmed having 272,000 members (children aged 8 to 18 years), and on May 2019 the number of \u201cYouth Army\u201d members grew to 501,000 children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At the beginning of March 2019, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced it plans to open more than 500 \u201cYouth Army\u201d centers all over the country, based at the officers’ clubs and military training and patriotic education centers. According to the plan, financing, opening, and functioning of such centers would be provided for by the Russian Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    First Deputy Head of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d General Staff, Lieutenant General Viktor Buslovskiy at the beginning of 2019 voiced a task set by Minister of Defense Shoigu \u2014 to ensure there are 500,000 members of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d by the end of 2019. Still, as soon as February 26 First Deputy Head of the Main Military and Political Affairs Department of the Armed Forces, General Alexey Tsygankov claimed that the Ministry expects such a rise in numbers by May 9, 2019. Moreover, numbers are expected to double by May 9, 2020, and reach a 1,000,000 members mark:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBefore the 75th Great Victory anniversary it is planned to raise the number of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d participants up to 1 million people\u201d \u2014 Elena Slesarenko, Deputy Head of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d General Staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In his turn, Deputy Minister of Defense, Head of the main military-political department of the armed forces Andrey Kartapolov stated that in 2019 the \u201cYouth Army\u201d must emerge in all the Russian schools (approximately 42,000 schools).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At the same time, there is further and further evidence that participation in the \u201cYouth Army\u201d becomes obligatory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cGroup where my grandson studies are practically forced to join the \u201cYouth Army\u201d, [they] thought of coaching 10-year-old child how to handle a gun and so on\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201c[My] son is in the 5th grade. It\u2019s been announced that the whole group must join the \u201cYouth Army\u201d. Can one refuse? And what\u2019s the point in making enemies? There\u2019s nothing to be done, although I dislike the idea. Children are forced to crawl in the dirt and get ready to die\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cActually, this issue is not new, but it was precisely this year [2019] when an informal order has been \u201cpassed down\u201d to have a \u201cYouth Army\u201d division in every school. This, in confidence, was confirmed by the headmasters of the majority of schools to which our editorial staff turned with respective questions\u2026 We were firmly advised to get into this issue, with specific numbers being voiced: no less than 5% of the schoolchildren have to be \u201cYouth Army\u201d members\u201d, \u2014 one of the headmasters tells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There is also a word about attempts of the Russian armed forced commandment to forcibly entice officers\u2019 children into the \u201cYouth Army\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the middle of February 2019, the Ministry of Defense also set a \u201cYouth Army\u201d development task for the military-industrial complex enterprises: to establish the \u201cYouth Army\u201d departments at each enterprise and to organize military-patriotic divisions and clubs. Minister of Defense Shoigu\u2019s interest in the \u201cYouth Army\u201d development is noteworthy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cSergey Kuzhugetovich pays a lot of attention to the movement\u2019s development, supporting this initiative means supporting [him] personally\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So as to raise the \u201cYouth Army\u201d membership numbers, aside from coercion, incentives are also used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cMore than 20 higher education institutions in Russia have decided to opt-out for the \u201cYouth Army\u201d members during the admission process. They have agreed to add extra points [for the \u201cYouth Army\u201d members] to the Unified State Exam\u201d, \u2014 Roman Romanenko, Head of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d General Staff, March 29, 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not only do the membership numbers of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d grow; so does its structure. At the end of 2017, \u201cYouth Navy\u201d appeared within its structure. A respective cooperation agreement between the \u201cYouth Army\u201d and the Ministry of Transport was signed by: deputy Minister of Transport, Head of the Federal Maritime and River Transport Agency Viktor Olerskiy and (already ex) Head of the \u201cYouth Army\u201d General Staff Dmitriy Trunenkov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \u201cYouth Navy\u201d and \u201cYouth Army\u201d, Rostov-on-Don<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYouth Army\u201d members undergo courses on different military disciplines, get familiarized with military equipment, fire automatic arms, do parachute jumping, perform reservist training in camps and at the training grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \u201cYouth Army\u201d, skydiving<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    \u201cYouth Army\u201d, skydiving<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Military training for the \u201cYouth Army\u201d is held both during the extracurricular time and instead of classes as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \u201cTo everybody! Tomorrow 13th of February at 2:30 p.m. at school #2 will be meeting for training at the military unit. Children should wear a military uniform, in case they have not \u2014 they should wear school uniform. They must have an exercise book for military training with them. Students will get confirmation notes for presenting at school\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    \u201cYouth Army\u201d is a part of Russian military training system directed at children that is most famous outside of Russia itself. Some of the regime critics unofficially call it \u201cPutinjugend\u201d (as an analogy to \u201cHitlerjugend\u201d). Nevertheless, \u201cYouth Army\u201d is just a small element of a complex underage military education system. The scale on which Russian children are involved into military training is much broader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Russian Ministry of Defense oversees the so-called cadet corps and cadet schools. Cadet corps are boarding schools for military training directed at the high school students (starting with 11 years old). When limited, such a form of military training is a typical practice in various countries, including Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During the last 10 years Russia, however, has gone far beyond. Russian Ministry of Education (in coordination with Ministry of Defense, FSB, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Investigation Committee and other governmental bodies) orchestrated opening of the thousands of cadet classes in regular schools. Cadet class is a specialized military class in a regular school (for children aged 7 to 18 years old). Children in such a class wear military uniform on daily basis, and after the regular curriculum classes stay at school for the military training during the second part of the day. Depending on the school, cadet classes are available for children starting with 5th (11 years old) or even the 1st grade (7 years old).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    In 2014 Russia already had 177 cadet corps of the Ministry of Defense (almost 62,000 children) and 7,000 cadet classes in regular schools of the Ministry of Education (with 20\u201325 students per class it estimates to 140\u2013175,000 children). Nevertheless, from 2014 onward a lot of new cadet classes were established. For example, in Moscow the first cadet class appeared only in 2014 (there had already been a significant number of them in the regions), but in 2017 168 schools had cadet classes. As of 2018, there were 12,500 children studying in Moscow cadet classes. In the regions, the number of cadets also grows rapidly; for example, in Privolzhskiy federal district, where lives close to 20% of the Russian population, there were 22,000 cadets in 2012 \u2014 and 41,000 in 2017. Therefore, by 2018 the overall number of children studying at cadet classes could reach several hundred thousand. And these are the children aged 7 years and above from the regular schools. These children wear a military uniform every day and, in addition to the regular curriculum, attend military-directed classes (ranging from military history to firearms training), go out to the training grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    7 years old children became cadets. The motto of cadets: \u201cLife is the Homeland! Honor \u2014 to nobody!”<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    Students-cadets from Tolyatti<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    Cadets from school #1861, Moscow<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    Students-cadets<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Depending on which institution or organization curates a cadet school (class), there are varying types of classes. It also depends on the nearby military units and\/or higher military education institutions that may cooperate with the school. This is how military law and military engineering, marine, navy, air force (Ministry of Defense), border control (FSB), Investigative Committee, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Extraordinary Situations, \u201cCossak\u201d cadet classes are formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Kyzyl, the young border guards cadet class is opened in school #11<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    \u201cVityaz\u201d opened new cadets marines class (12th in a row)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    A series of 12 videos uploaded by Mikhail Asankin (actor, anchor, propagandist) reveals the education process at a cadet class (\u201cCossak unit\u201d), school \u211660 in the city of Yaroslavl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Not only does the quantity of children involved in the military training system grows; so does the quality of the training itself. Specialized classrooms, shooting ranges are established; firearms simulators, training ammunition is purchased, including mines, grenades, and other equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Quote from the video: \u201c\u2026 gymnasiums and lyceums are obliged to have a shooting range or shooting simulators, otherwise, the prosecutor\u2019s office will ask them to do it\u2026\u201d (2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The Kremlin pays special attention to militarizing the orphans. These underage children are fully dependent on the state and have no option to reject participation in such initiatives and morale-building activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Military training for children from the orphanage<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    More than 130 orphans visited Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia and met with Afghan veterans<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    On July 12, 2018, a new Kremlin project \u201cYouth Army. Guidance\u201d was launched. Moreover, the secretariat of the Russian children\u2019s rights ombudsperson has also become an instrument in building a system of child military training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cToday is an important day: we announce the start of \u201c[Youth Army] Mentorship\u201d. It is needed, first and foremost, by children who were left without parental care. Only 10% of orphanage graduates manage to settle well in life. We understand that these children need not just a place to live, not just financial, legal and other assistance. These children require support, require advice, require a friend. It is very important to have a mentor\u201d. [archive] \u2014 Anna Kuznetsova, Russian children\u2019s rights ombudsperson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cSecretariat of the Children\u2019s Rights Ombudsman Anna Kuznetsova passed down instructions for all the regional ombudsmen to sign an agreement with the \u201cYouth Army\u201d headquarters\u2026 The pilot project in 8 regions (30 orphanages) finished last year, and it was then that Kuznetsova announced the start of the main stage \u2014 everywhere\u201d. [archive]\n\n\n\n

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    On March 12, 2019 Secretary of the Security Council of Russian Federation Patrushev announced that \u201cthe issue has been solved with directing underage persons inclined to commit crimes to military-patriotic camps\u201d. It is known that in Russia amnesty is already practiced for those facing criminal charges with sending them to the occupied territories in Ukraine to take part in the war. How much will these children, trained by the senior war criminals in the military-patriotic camps, be prone to committing war crimes themselves?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Putinjugend spreads quickly not just onto schools, but onto kindergartens as well. Small children are taught to sing military songs, model and draw military equipment, play military games (\u201cZarnitsa\u201d, for small children \u2014 \u201cZarnichka\u201d), handle arms, wear military uniform on daily basis. Practically, children in many kindergartens already undergo actual military training (as far as possible at the age of 3\u20136): full-fledged \u201ccadet groups\u201d are formed, where children wear a uniform daily, learn the army structure, types of military equipment and arms, learn how to follow orders without question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    In the kindergarten \u201cSonechko\u201d the military-patriotic game \u201cZarnytsya\u201d took place<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    In the kindergarten \u201cSonechko\u201d the military-patriotic game \u201cZarnytsya\u201d took place<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Veterans from wars in Chechnya, Syria, and Ukraine were also put to work in Russia\u2019s kindergartens. Men with combat experience, complicit in war crimes, become educators for pre-school children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The children of the Kurgan kindergarten \u201cZyrochka\u201d were sworn in as cadets<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Actual and not toy guns appear in the hands of the smallest children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Cadet classes in schools cooperate with cadet groups in kindergartens, take part in teaching the younger generation of cadets. Cadet groups graduates then become students of the cadet classes in schools. This is how a unified military training system for children aged 3\u201318 years is created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cOur graduates continue their studies in cadet classes and schools\u201d [archive]\n\n\n\n

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    Cadets of the school held a master class of assembling-dismantling weapons for preschoolers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    Cadets of the school held a master class of assembling-dismantling weapons for preschoolers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Several examples of people conducting military-patriotic training for children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \u201cRusich\u201d member trains children from \u201cYouth Army\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The photo features no one other than Alexey Milchakov (profile on Myrotvorets): \u201cRussian mercenary. Was a participant of the secret subversive group \u201cRusich\u201d, commander. Extremely dangerous Russian killer-terrorist with mental issues. Took part in the occupation of Crimea as a part of Russian forces, in combat in Donbas and SAR. Member of the Donbas Volunteers Union\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \u201cOur kindergarten\u2019s main guest was the head of the local department of the all-Russian youth patriotic organization \u201cLegacy\u201d, military-patriotic center \u201cStar\u201d instructor, deputy ataman of Yeysk Cossak Union \u2014 Boris Aleksandrovich Syretskyi<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Borys Syretskiy (link to \u201cMyrotvorets\u201d profile): \u201cSyretskiy Borys Oleksandrovych. Russian mercenary, militant of the illegal armed formation on the territory of Ukraine (secret subversive group), sniper; he was spotted in a camouflage suit \u201cLeshiy\u201d. Russian Bashkarov-Nazi from the \u201cRussian national unity\u201d *(Aleksandr Bashkarov \u2014 leader of this organization). According to his mother, Boris is an addict. Repeatedly convicted, including the sentence of Yeysk city court at Krasnodar area from 10 November 2011 according to article 1 section 111 of Criminal Code of Russian Federation (\u201cDeliberately inflicting severe damage to health dangerous to human life\u201d) up to 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment with serving a sentence in a correctional colony of general regime\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not only students of cadets school classes and cadets \u2019kindergartens\u2019 groups are involved in military training and become subjected to propaganda. The rest of the children are engaged in other forms of similar activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, in the Russian education system, May 9 and February 23 are no ordinary holidays. Honoring these dates at schools and kindergartens is accompanied by monthly military-patriotic training. Usually, it is one month in January-February and another in April-May. During these two \u201cmonthly training\u201d children play military games (as \u201cZarnytsya\u201d at schools and \u201cZarnichka\u201d at kindergartens), visit military bases and military museums, have issue-related lessons, competitions, demonstrations, wear military uniform and sing songs about war. In addition to this, for greater militarization impact, children are involved in the celebration of other memorable days connected to WW2. For example, \u201cday of city\/district\/area\/country liberation\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The civic-patriotic lesson for preschool children during the month of military-patriotic training and mass-defense events<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    The month of children and youth military-patriotic training in Nyzhnyovartovsk region<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    The militarization of schools covers even the classes far from military issues. Here is homework from the \u201cRussian language\u201d schoolbook for 4th-grade students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Text snippet from the schoolbook: \u201cImagine, that you are waiting for your father from the front. Write him a letter\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    Exercises from the Russian language schoolbook. \u0417oem on behalf of a child who is waiting for father from the front<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The announcement in the kindergarten: \u201cPuppet-theater play \u201cRussian soldier doesn`t know borders (afternoon)\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The peak of Russian propaganda and children militarization, in particular, the youngest ones, falls on the May 9 events, when \u201cparades of preschool children\u2019s army\u201d and \u201cparades of baby carriages\u201d take place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    More than 250 children took part in the \u201cparade of preschool children\u2019s army\u201d in Stanytsya Yehorlykska<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
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    Parade of baby carriages in Pyatyhorsk<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Another type of military training is military-patriotic clubs in churches of the Russian Orthodox Church. Many websites of the Russian churches contain special pages or articles with information about the existence and activities of such clubs. Military training is held in church buildings with \u201cpriests\u201d as instructors. Besides, Sunday schools are also directly involved in military activities for kids. There are also \u201cmilitary-patriotic training centers\u201d in churches. Russian Orthodox Church acts as an organizer of children\u2019s military camps. In churches, the ceremony of taking the cadets\u2019 oath is accompanied by a blessing from \u201cpriests\u201d on \u201cthe successfully firing military weapons\u201d and take a direct part in organizing other activities aimed at creating Putin\u2019s child army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Employees of the special unit \u201cVostok\u201d of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN of Russia) in Amur region held military-patriotic training for the little parishioners<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
  • \"\"<\/div><\/div>
    Women\u2019s Monastery of the Kaluga Icon of the Mother of God: Sunday schools began systematic training on initial military training. Under the direction of the chief of intelligence Nikolai Petrovich, the children learned about the structure of the armed forces of Russia, engaged in military training, got acquainted with the structure of weapons<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
  • \"\"<\/div><\/div>
    Sunday School of the Holy Trinity Church in the village of Sypon, Tula region<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
  • \"\"<\/div><\/div>
    Sunday School \u21161 of the Holy Martyr\u2019s Church Seraph: Sunday-School \u21161 operates the Military-Patriotic Club \u201cPODVYG\u201d. At classes in the military-patriotic club, children are taught to survive in extreme conditions and initial military training with access to the forest<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div>
  • \"\"<\/div><\/div>
    Orthodox military-patriotic camp \u201cPeresvet\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/li><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Moreover, one of the core elements of children\u2019s military training system is constituted by different paramilitary organizations such as Cossacks fellowships, \u201cDonbas Volunteers Union\u201d, \u201cUnion of Afghanistan veterans\u201d, Russian military-historian community, \u201cCombat brotherhood\u201d and many others. Adult members mostly have combat experience in Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine, Syria, and organize military clubs and summer training camps for children. As of April 2019 at least 5,500 children were members of the various military clubs in Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The children\u2019s military training system covers Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia as well:<\/p>\n\n\n\n