Kyiv Independent to present documentary exposing Russia’s militarization of Ukrainian children
The Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigation Unit has completed a new investigation into the treatment of Ukrainian children in the Russian-occupied territories. The film uncovers a disturbing strategy: the systematic indoctrination of children to serve as future soldiers in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.
The official trailer offers a first look at the film’s findings and emotional depth. The film will premiere on Oct. 23 on the Kyiv Independent’s YouTube channel. It will also be screened in Ukrainian at Zhovten Cinema in Kyiv on the same day. Registration is available via this link.
“There were moments when I lost consciousness. It happened three times. [Russian military trainers] brought ammonia, I sniffed it, got up, and ran on with the rifle,” one of the children interviewed for the film recalls.
Around 1.6 million Ukrainian children currently live in areas under Russian control, with little to no access to Ukrainian education — or opportunities to preserve their own identity. In these occupied areas, schools follow Russian curricula, and children are drawn into youth organizations that prepare them for military service.
The documentary reveals how occupation authorities in southern Ukraine integrate children into Russian paramilitary youth movements, train them to handle weapons, and prepare them for enlistment. Through testimonies and verified documentation, the film exposes how militarization is enforced through fear — with families threatened with the forced removal of their children unless they comply.
The film follows the story of Iryna’s family (name changed due to security reasons), who fled the occupation to save her son from possible conscription. Before leaving, occupation authorities pressured her to enroll her children in a local school — or risk having them sent to an orphanage. Another protagonist, teenager Oksana (name changed), was promised a seaside holiday in Crimea but was instead sent to Russia’s “Warrior” center, a military training camp launched on Putin’s initiative after 2022. There, she was taught to dig trenches, operate drones, and carry out tasks under the supervision of Russian military instructors.
“Throughout the months of working on this investigation, I was constantly struck by how vast and all-encompassing the policy of militarization and indoctrination toward Ukrainian children in the occupied territories is,” says the film author Olesia Bida. “Russia is doing everything to leave Ukrainian children with no choice but to join its army. Children are being conditioned to believe that life in war is a normal state and the ultimate measure of patriotism is the willingness to give one’s life for Russia.”
The Kyiv Independent’s journalists identified those behind such programs and uncovered how they operate, exposing a vast system that turns education and leisure into tools for building Russia’s next army. The documentary sheds light on a broader geopolitical tactic: normalizing war, expanding authoritarian influence, and undermining democratic values across Europe.
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