Yale Study Reports Forced Militarization of Abducted Ukrainian Children in Russian Facilities

"...The researchers say that Ukrainian children in the eastern regions occupied by Russia since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022 have been sent to the facilities where, "in many cases, (they) are placed in programs of forced militarization that include, though are not limited to, combat and paratrooper training."..."

"..."Children at some facilities have been engaged in the production of military equipment for Russia's armed forces, including drones," the Yale study said...."

"...The researchers said their conclusions were based on "publicly available data sources and commercially available satellite imagery," and that the analysts "evaluated each data source for reliability, veracity, and credibility using assessment criteria derived from the Berkeley Protocol" for open-source research, and an intelligence assessment framework used by NATO...."

"...The Yale researchers do not provide an estimate of the total number of children abducted by Russia. They note that while some have been returned, "other groups of children have been held indefinitely. In some cases, children who have entered this network of camps, so-called family centers, and other facilities have entered Russia's program of coerced fostering and adoption, eventually being placed with families in Russia and becoming naturalized citizens of the Russian Federation."..."

"...The report details at least eight different types of facilities to which Ukrainian children have been taken, including summer camps, mental health institutions, at least one military base and even a monastery. It said the objective for Russian authorities is to indoctrinate the Ukrainian children with pro-Russian, anti-Ukrainian cultural and patriotic narratives...."

"...Ukraine's state-run "Bring Kids Back" program, launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says more than 19,500 Ukrainian children have been abducted since Russia's invasion began. It says only about 1,600 have been returned, including 101 who were bought back in August...."

"...In March 2023, the U.N.'s International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of committing "the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."..."

"...The court also issued an arrest warrant for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for children's rights in the Office of the President, accusing her of committing the same crimes...."

"...Zelenskyy said last week that he would raise the issue of abducted Ukrainian children during the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York next week. He said he would host the event along with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and that "many leaders will join us."..."