In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russians are intensifying war propaganda and ideological pressure on children and young people.
This is reported by the Centre for Countering Disinformation.
The occupiers are actively using propaganda exhibitions for this purpose. In particular, in Skadovsk in Kherson region they opened an exhibition featuring portraits of local collaborators, and in Dovzhansk in Luhansk region — a travelling exhibition about participants in the war against Ukraine.
Children and young people are involved in creating such works. Students from local educational institutions are brought to the events in large numbers and, according to the CCD, the nature of these visits is clearly not voluntary.
The Centre for Countering Disinformation notes that through such events the occupiers are trying to glorify the war, impose on young people images of local traitors and participants in the war as “heroes”, and create an artificial sense of a shared history with Russia.
“Through such events, the enemy is militarising the consciousness of young people in the occupied territories,” the CCD stresses.
According to the Centre, by forcing children to draw and attend propaganda exhibitions, Russians are seeking to shape a generation loyal to the Kremlin and prepare a future mobilisation resource for the Russian Federation.