"And as one politician said, if you want the whole world to speak russian, study how a Kalashnikov works. Happy holiday once again to everyone, and 'jumbo' to you all. Victory will be ours."
These were the exact words a russian army militant used to address children, including first-graders, at a school assembly in a Krasnoyarsk lyceum. This year, military personnel attended many school assemblies across russia, military reenactments were held, and weapons were demonstrated to schoolchildren.
For us, this is a clear signal of what is happening to Ukrainian children in the temporarily occupied territories. After all, if russia is militarizing its own schools to such an extent, this process is being implemented even more harshly in the occupied territories, where hundreds of thousands of our children currently live.
Families rescued by the Save Ukraine team confirm this with their testimonies. Instead of regular schooling, Ukrainian children are forced to undergo military training, assemble assault rifles, dig trenches, join the "Yunarmia" (Youth Army), and participate in propaganda events.
In fact, schools in the occupied territories have ceased to fulfill their primary function. They are now hubs where an alternate worldview is constantly forced upon children under pressure through rewritten history, preparing them for future participation in hostilities. And, as we can see from the public statements of russian politicians, russia's future offensives will not be limited to Ukraine, but will spread further—into NATO and EU territories.
The longer children remain in such an environment, the more war becomes the norm for them. That is why time in occupation works against us, and bringing these children back to a normal life is becoming increasingly difficult.
We at Save Ukraine continue to do everything possible to rescue as many families from occupation as we can. If you or your loved ones are currently in the temporarily occupied territories and are looking for a safe way out, please reach out for help using the link in our bio.
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