Children and youth from occupied Crimea and Kherson region undergo military training in Bakhchysarai
In Bakhchisarai, 120 schoolchildren and students from occupied Crimea and the Kherson region, as well as from Russian cities – Moscow, Penza and Tver – are participating in a 10-day military school. This is reported by the pro-Russian TV channel “Crimea 24”.
The illegal militarization of children and youth in occupied Crimea as part of the “Storm Crimea” exercises in Bakhchisarai has been ongoing for 10 days – since March 27 and is due to end tomorrow, April 5. Judging by the TV channel’s interview with the participants, children aged 10 and over are taking part in the events.
Under the control of the occupation authorities, children and young people are undergoing training in tactical medicine, fire training, drone control, mountain-high altitude and parachute training, driving a “buggy” type vehicle, and are also acquiring basic diving skills and special physical training.
“In addition, the program included special courses for training personnel for OMON units, reconnaissance groups, and unmanned troops. Participants attended career orientation classes every day, where they met with representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB, the Investigative Committee, and other law enforcement agencies,” the video says.
The head of the Crimean branch of the “Youth Army” Serhiy Gavrilchuk, in a comment to journalists, stated that during such events the Russian side prepares future conscripts for the Russian army.
“The Russian Youth Tactical Training School is aimed at training future conscripts and developing military-patriotic education,” he said.
The Security Service of Ukraine has collected evidence against Serhiy Gavrilchuk under Part 1 of Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) and Part 3 of Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants). Personal sanctions were also imposed against him in Ukraine, the European Union and Switzerland.
“Supports and implements Putin’s policy of deporting Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Participates in an organized mechanism of mass abduction, illegal deportation and forced relocation of Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation and the TOT of Ukraine under the guise of “rehabilitation, recreation and education”, promotes the “integration” of children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine into a single cultural and educational space and the system of civil and patriotic education of the Russian Federation by carrying out measures aimed at the re-education and militarization of children in the occupied Crimea”, – this is stated on the website of the GUR MOU about Serhiy Havrylchuk.
The military-oriented “Yunarmiya” movement was created in 2016 in Russia, and later spread to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular Crimea, as well as the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.
