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In Occupied Luhansk, Russia Uses “Sports Day” to Train Children for War
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian forces in the occupied Luhansk region are systematically preparing local children for future mobilization into the occupying army, Ukraine’s National Resistance Center reported on August 12.
In the town of Stanytsia Luhanska, fighters from Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardiya) and activists from the Kremlin’s ruling United Russia party staged a so-called “training session” for members of the local “Ataman” football club under the guise of celebrating National Sports Day.
According to the report, children were forced to perform strength and endurance exercises, practice hand-to-hand combat techniques, and repeat maneuvers used by special forces units.
Instructors reportedly made no attempt to hide the purpose of the exercises, openly telling the children this was preparation for selection into military formations.
Ukraine’s National Resistance Center said such activities are part of a broader, systematic effort by Russian occupation authorities to militarize Ukrainian youth in the region.
Earlier, Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine created an online “catalog” where Ukrainian children are listed for adoption, sorted by physical traits such as eye and hair color.
