New research has revealed how abducted kids from Ukraine are being forced to take part in military training in Russia. Children as young as eight have been spotted building drones against their will
Russians are abducting Ukrainian kids and using them as “weapons” against their homeland in harsh military camps, according to new research.
The kidnapped children are allegedly being sent to more than 200 camps across Vladimir Putin’s country, and being forced to take part in “barbaric” training. In the camps, the children are brainwashed and used for slave labour.
Shocking satellite images show them reportedly being forced to build drones and other materials to use against Ukraine. The vulnerable kids, who are believed to be as young as eight, are ordered to take part in “fire and naval training skills”.
According to research by the Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), others have to participate in “shooting and grenade throwing competitions”. Meanwhile, some camps make children do “tactical medicine, drone control and tactics” training.
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The HRL’s report, which was shared with the United Nations Security Council, also revealed that children from the city of Donetsk were given “airborne training”. It has been reported that this type of training has been recorded at around 40 out of the 210 sites. These sites include summer camps, a monastery and sanatoriums, reports The Sun.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mariana Betsa labelled their enslavement as a war crime. Betsa said: “We are appalled by yet another piece of evidence of Russia committing a war crime. International humanitarian law prohibits recruitment and use of children for the purposes of armed conflict. It is outrageous how Russia is operating the large-scale logistical and operational capacity in using children, who are always the most vulnerable victims in armed conflicts, in such a barbaric way.”
Sadly, Russia committed shocking acts like this way before the war started, with such crimes being dated back to 2014. However, researchers said Putin ramped up his efforts when he launched the war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian official Mariana commented: “The report shows Russia is prepared to use Ukraine’s own children as a ‘weapon’ against Ukraine, and Europe more broadly. They are being trained to fight against their own homeland. This is all part of Russia’s long-term genocidal campaign to erase the Ukrainian identity – central to this is the Russification and militarisation of Ukrainian children as the report outlines.”