New Comic Books in Russian Schools Portray Figures Accused of War Crimes

Russian schools have begun using new comic books that portray participants in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as heroes.

Since February, schools have held classes for students in grades 5 to 9, introducing them to the new graphic novels and their portrayals of military figures. Often, members of the Yunarmiya  youth military movement attend these classes in uniform, according to Verstka on April 28.

The collections tell the stories of 15 participants of the invasion who are presented as role models. The descriptions of their actions include scenes of violence. The illustrations show detached limbs and the bodies of killed Ukrainian soldiers.

The author stated that the work is a “panorama of 15 inspiring stories, telling of true heroism, unwavering steadfastness and selfless dedication.” However, many individuals mentioned in the collection are accused of war crimes by Ukraine and the European Union.

One comic features Ivan Boldyrev, who is said to have “for the first time in history performed a jet ejection from a helicopter in battle.” Ukrainian authorities have included him in the "Book of Executioners." His 319th separate helicopter regiment is considered involved in crimes against civilians in the Kyiv region.

The same list includes Colonel Zalibek Umaev, the head of engineering for the 58th Combined Arms Army. The comics present him as the organizer of the destruction of 200 armored vehicles of "neo-Nazis." According to fellow soldiers, after seven men died, he sent new ones to complete the task and refused to recover the bodies of the dead.

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Senior Lieutenant Vladislav Golovin is described as a man whose reconnaissance group “defended for four days against superior enemy forces, destroying 150 militants, several pieces of equipment and the Azov headquarters.” Golovin is under EU sanctions for participating in the capture of Mariupol and involving children in militarized structures. He now leads the Yunarmiya headquarters.

Maxim Dreval, the director of the Znanie Society, stated that through these comics, Russian schoolchildren "realize the true price of peace and responsibility for their country." Since the beginning of the invasion, three collections of these graphic novels have been released with a total of 720,000 copies printed.

The Center Countering Disinformation reported that Russia intensified the propaganda component of its youth paramilitary organizations, such as "Yunarmiya" and the "Movement of the First."

These groups, which previously focused on basic military training, expanded their activities into the media sphere to prepare young participants as future propagandists. Programs were organized to teach children how to create content and influence audiences, often with the direct involvement of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

At the same time, military-style drills increased in preschools, where young children participated in marching exercises and simulated combat tasks.

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