Anastasia Ryabokon19:25, 23.08.25

In military camps, young Russian children are taught to shoot and prepared for sabotage.

Military camps for children and teenagers are held in Russian regions , where they are taught to shoot and overcome natural obstacles. Even children as young as 8 are given weapons. Reuters journalists visited one of these camps in the Rostov region .

They say there were dozens of children there – at least 83 children aged 8 to 17. All the children took part in a “march-throw” along the riverbank. They were dressed in camouflage uniforms and had mock weapons. Some were given real weapons. 

An 8-year-old camper told reporters that he participated in shooting at dummies and throwing grenades. One of the older boys said he wanted to be a soldier. 

They were supervised by military instructors who had participated in the war against Ukraine. One of them brought his own daughter to the camp.

Reuters notes that Russia has seen a widespread trend in which even young children are being prepared for future military service. The authorities call it “instilling healthy patriotism.”

The publication cites a comment from the independent children’s rights organization “Ne Norma”, which claims that teaching children military methods and teaching them at school how to handle weapons and create military drones is a form of indoctrination and propaganda.

How Russia militarizes children in the occupied territories of Ukraine

We will remind you that at the beginning of this school year, the Russian occupation administration plans to introduce a position for the so-called “education” of children in schools in the occupied Kherson region. Ukraine explained that the Russians are trying to control children and teachers even more.

It is also known that the Russians are conscripting children from occupied territories who have turned 18 into their army. Before that, the children go through “re-education camps.” There they are forced to sing the anthem of the aggressor country and taught how to handle weapons.

Due to the implementation of a program of mass abduction of Ukrainian children, the International Criminal Court recognized Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as a criminal and issued a warrant for his arrest.

(C)UNIAN 2025