They claim that their parents are dead: The media told how Russia is trying to "re-educate" children abducted from Ukraine

The Russian authorities are developing a system of "re-education" and digital control over children illegally taken from Ukraine to Russia after the start of the large-scale invasion. Among other things, the occupiers convince little Ukrainians that their parents are dead.

This is stated in the investigation of the Medusa publication. The "re-education" program is aimed at indoctrinating Ukrainian children and convincing them that they will not return to their native land.

Russian officials recognize that there is a risk that these children will retain a negative attitude toward Russia and may oppose the Russian authorities in the future.

In this regard, the Russian Ministry of Education has written a "document" that states the task assigned to Russian teachers to reorient and form the Russian identity of Ukrainian children who have been "evacuated" from the occupied territories of Ukraine. They are to be educated on the basis of Russian "spiritual and moral values" and freed from "destructive ideology."

The manual "Prevention of conflicts, extremism and terrorism in a multicultural educational environment" provides examples of statements considered by the Russian authorities to be a manifestation of nationalist ideology, including the greeting "Glory to Ukraine" and criticism of Russia and Russians.

In addition, the supplementary manual "Supporting Adolescents Arriving from War Zone" describes possible reactions of children to the new environment, including protest and distrust, as well as tips for supporting children who have lost their parents.

"If you know that a child's family members were killed or went missing during the hostilities, [in your communication with them] focus not on people, but on events... Don't say 'it's okay', 'don't worry, they are in a better place', 'they are on a cloud watching you'... Talk honestly with the child about the fact that their loved ones were killed or their home was destroyed... Tell them directly that they died. Give your child the opportunity to experience emotions. For example, if he is angry, let him tear up the paper," the manual says in the original language.

The very reasons for the abduction of children from Ukraine are justified by the "geopolitical situation".

According to the propaganda documents, schools are supposed to form children's "Russian identity". Learning should make them feel proud of the country and patriotic. The specific country for which one should feel pride is not specified.

However, not all teachers use these methods. According to one of the employees of the Ministry of Education, staff members discuss among themselves that Ukrainian children are potential terrorists.

The investigation also refers to a joint project of the Ministry of Education and the Center for the Study and Network Monitoring of the Youth Environment, which monitors the behavior of teenagers on social media, having the ability to de-anonymize their accounts. According to an official of the Ministry of Education, this center helps Russian authorities identify opponents of the Russian government.

As a reminder, on March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children's Ombudsman Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of committing an international crime – the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. The warrant will be valid for the rest of the defendants' lives.

Earlier it became known that children were being taken from the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia to the "Russian hinterland" thousands of kilometers away from home. In Chuvashia and other remote regions of the Russian Federation, they are "brainwashed" by telling them about the "special operation" and its "veterans," the Melitopol city council said.

Instead, the occupiers plan to settle the occupied territories with Russians. In particular, according to the Civil Defense Center, they want to bring about 300,000 Russian citizens to Ukrainian Mariupol by 2035.

According to Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine managed to return 517 children who were illegally deported by Russia to its territory.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the International Platform for the Release of Civilians Illegally Detained by the Russian Federation and stressed that all those involved in the forced deportation of Ukrainians should be brought to justice. Those who abuse our prisoners must also be held accountable.

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