Militarizing children in the TOT: russia funds “yunarmiya” headquarters leaders
russia is expanding tools for the militarization of children in temporarily occupied territories. In the occupied part of the Donetsk region, authorities announced that leaders of local headquarters of the “yunarmiya” movement will begin receiving salaries starting in March.
▫️In practice, this indicates that volunteer resources are no longer sufficient to promote military propaganda among children in the occupied territories. russia is introducing financial incentives to ensure the stable functioning of the network of local branches.
▫️The willingness to allocate budget funds for such positions demonstrates the priority the kremlin assigns to this direction. “yunarmiya” is an important element of the state infrastructure for the ideological indoctrination of children. First, it serves as a platform for propaganda and the formation of loyalty to russia; second, the organization provides initial military training and encourages future service in the russian armed forces.
Participation in this movement is systematically imposed on children across russia; however, in the occupied territories the process is more coercive and rigid. The objective is to involve as many teenagers as possible and integrate them into russia’s ideological space while displacing their Ukrainian identity.
