Lubinets urges recognition of militarization of Ukrainian children in occupied territories as crime against humanity

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets has called on the international community to recognize the militarization of Ukrainian children in territories temporarily occupied by Russia as a crime against humanity.

According to Ukrinform, Lubinets wrote this on Facebook.

“On the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, this has been ongoing for years and remains unpunished. Tens of thousands of children are forced to grow up in a world of propaganda, fear, and imposed military narratives. What should be their fundamental right to education is being turned into a tool of aggression. Schools are becoming platforms for war preparation, while cadet classes cultivate obedience instead of children’s curiosity,” the Ombudsman said, noting that the militarization of education is affecting an increasing number of children.

According to Yale University, since February 2022 Ukrainian children have been transferred to at least 210 facilities in Russia and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In 62% of them, children are subjected to cultural, patriotic, and military propaganda, while in 19% they undergo military training, including combat drills, parades, and drone operation. This constitutes a gross violation of international humanitarian law and a crime against Ukrainian children.

Children are being forced to join militarized and pseudo-patriotic organizations such as Yunarmiya, Orlyata Rossii,Voin, and Zarnitsa 2.0. On February 17, the so-called Russian Cadet Day was also celebrated in the Luhansk region.

Lubinets noted that the militarization of Ukrainian children is taking on new forms. Starting September 1, so-called Cossack classes will be introduced as a mandatory part of the school curriculum for fifth-grade students in temporarily occupied Donetsk, Makiivka, Dokuchaievsk, and Mariupol. He stressed that this is not a sporadic action by the aggressor, but a deliberate and systematic policy and strategy of war.

“At present, these actions remain without proper legal assessment. The systemic militarization of Ukrainian children in the temporarily occupied territories is unprecedented in modern history. How can the world continue to remain silent in the face of this crime? Silence is complicity in a crime against children,” Lubinets emphasized.

The Ombudsman called on Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, the international community, and the International Criminal Court to recognize the systematic militarization of children as a crime against humanity and to ensure inevitable accountability for those responsible.

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As reported by Ukrinform, Lubinets also stated that Russia does not acknowledge the crime of abducting Ukrainian children and urged partners to increase pressure on Russia to secure their return.