Moscow creating Yunarmia branches in occupied territories to turn Ukrainian children against Ukraine – Ombudsman Lubinets

KYIV. Nov 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Russians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine have begun to establish regional branches of the public movement of the Russian Federation Yunarmiya, said Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada Dmytro Lubinets.

"The invaders in the temporarily occupied territories are establishing regional branches of the Yunarmiya, thereby turning Ukrainian children against Ukraine and preparing for the entry of volunteer battalions," he wrote on his Telegram channel on Monday.

According to him, the militarization of education and Russian propaganda aimed at Ukrainian children are causing concern, because Russia by such actions educates minors to hate their native state and the desire to avenge the war, but not to Russians, to Ukraine.

"There were such military-patriotic movements after the occupation of Crimea, now everything is repeated in the occupied territories. It is important to note that the paramilitary format of education exerts disastrous pressure on the consciousness of children who have suffered as a result of the armed aggression and occupation of Russia," the Ombudsman said.

Lubinets stressed that the goal of the occupiers is to deprive children of the opportunity to express their Ukrainian identity.

"One can also say that such actions are a manifestation of genocide and one of the forms of coercion for subsequent service in the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which indicates another war crime of Russians and violation of the norms of the Convention on the Rights of the Child," he added.