Russia to Double Yunarmiya Centers for Militarizing Children on Occupied Ukrainian Territories

Russia is intensifying efforts to militarize youth in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. According to the National Resistance Center (NRC), plans for 2025 include doubling the number of Yunarmiya  centers.

The NRC reports that occupying authorities also aim to expand other militarization initiatives, such as increasing the presence of the “Movement of the First” and the network of military training hubs under the “Warrior” program.

These initiatives are part of broader efforts to exert control over children and adolescents, integrating them into Russian informational and ideological frameworks. Participants in these programs are reportedly encouraged to pursue further military education in Russian academies, ultimately preparing them for service in the Russian armed forces.

The NRC has urged residents in occupied territories to resist such efforts and report individuals collaborating with the occupiers to recruit or indoctrinate local youth.

Earlier, in occupied parts of the Kherson region, Russian forces compelled children to create decorations and write poems for soldiers while pressuring parents to fund gifts for military personnel. These activities, framed as voluntary by propagandists, aim to exploit and reshape the identities of local youth.

Furthermore, Russian forces established a “Russian Guard” class at School No. 10 in occupied Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia region, aiming to prepare youth for service in Russian security forces. This initiative, part of a broader strategy to militarize children, includes paramilitary competitions and ideological programs at facilities like the “Red Carnation” center and the Orthodox gymnasium.