Monday, March 9, 2026 11:00:08 AM

Pro-Ukrainian sentiment is growing among teenagers in Russian-occupied Crimea, prompting authorities to urgently ramp up propaganda efforts in schools and universities, according to media reports.

The Russian occupation administration has publicly sounded the alarm and is moving to harden ideological messaging across educational institutions. Even heightened pressure hasn’t deterred young Crimeans, said an activist with the international #LiberateCrimea campaign, as cited by Krym.Realii.

The outlet shares the account of a young woman from Crimea: to reach Ukraine, 20-year-old Polina traveled through Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Moldova.

According to the source, Crimean teenagers are more frequently seeking out Ukrainian information resources and volunteers on their own. Many are independently learning Ukrainian and using it to communicate with one another. After finishing school, some young Crimeans move to Ukraine-controlled territory and even give interviews to Ukrainian media.

The trend has become a serious warning sign for the occupation authorities – effectively signaling a failure of Russian propaganda among the new generation, the reports suggest.

Sources say a closed-door meeting involving Russian security officials and bureaucrats was held in Crimea amid the rise in pro-Ukrainian sentiment. Participants reportedly agreed to increase oversight of teenagers and significantly expand propaganda in schools and universities.

Messages have also begun circulating in parent group chats urging families to send children more actively to after-school clubs and activities. Officially, this is framed as combating “extremist propaganda,” but in practice it amounts to intensified ideological indoctrination of youth, according to the reports.

(c)UKRINFORM 2026