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An new investigation has revealed that Russia is managing a vast system of over 200 camps designed for the indoctrination, Russification, and military training of abducted minors.

Scope and Type of Facilities

These locations are spread across Russia and Russian-controlled Ukraine’s regions, and include not only training centers but also schools, army installations, medical facilities, religious sites, and higher education institutes.

Beginning with the start of the full-scale invasion in the spring of 2022, thousands of children have been transported to these sites and exposed to activities that involve patriotic propaganda, military exercises, paratrooper training, and even classes on assembling unmanned aerial vehicles for the Russian armed forces.

Major Discoveries

This investigation found that at least 130 of the facilities have been engaged in indoctrination programs, which involve systematic efforts to implant pro-Russia viewpoints in the children.

Moreover, at least 39 of the locations run militarization programs, where participants as starting from 8 years old undergo weapons training, explosives handling, and tactical medicine courses.

“We are witnessing is an massive network of facilities expressly established and enlarged after 2014 to turn Ukraine’s children into loyalists,” stated a researcher. “This represents a pipeline for these children to be re-educated and prepared as combatants.”

Growth and Proof

Close to a quarter of the identified locations show signs of growth, suggesting that Moscow is preparing to host additional young detainees. At least 2 additional facilities are reportedly under construction.

Researchers gathered publicly available information – frequently from Russia’s state-run media – and verified it with detailed satellite imagery, confirming the presence of children using at least five independent sources.

At least half of the facilities listed were directly operated by the state authorities, as evidenced by official records.

Legal Implications

The study is the first to expose the true extent of Russia’s deportation apparatus, providing support to allegations of war crimes and systematic abuses.

The report states that the organized deportation and militarization of minors breaches the international humanitarian law and the United Nations child protection standards.

In 2023, the International Criminal Court launched an investigation into President Putin and a top official Maria Lvova-Belova over the reported abduction and relocation of Ukraine’s youth. Russia denies any illegal activity, claiming that minors have only been relocated for their safety and insisting that not a single child has been forcibly taken.

The Ukraine’s representative stated that the findings “provides undeniable evidence refuting Moscow’s denials and misinformation” and that it “demands a response”.