Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian forces of abducting Ukrainian children from occupied territories and sending them to camps where they are indoctrinated and trained to eventually fight against their own country, an allegation he says is backed by evidence gathered by his government.
In a recent interview with "CBS News," Zelensky said Ukrainian authorities have documented at least 20,000 children taken to Russia or Russian‑occupied areas and fear the true number is significantly higher.
He described a system in which children are removed from families or state institutions, transported across the border, and placed in facilities that combine political reeducation with military-style training for older minors. Zelensky called the practice a deliberate effort to turn Ukrainian children into future combatants on the Russian side, according to CBS News.
Independent investigations and media reports have detailed a network of camps, cadet schools, and other institutions inside Russia and occupied Ukraine where Ukrainian children are held for long periods.
Researchers at Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab concluded that children from Ukraine have been taken to at least 210 facilities, many of them run by the Russian state or affiliated entities.
According to their findings, more than 60 percent of sites emphasize reeducation, while roughly one-fifth provide military training, including weapons handling and basic tactics for teenagers.
Some reports, citing Ukrainian officials and international observers, say teenagers taken from Ukraine are later funneled into Russian cadet schools and, once they reach 18, pressured or forced to join the Russian armed forces, NBC News reported.
At certain locations, older children allegedly receive instruction in drone operations, grenade throwing, and other combat-related skills, going beyond standard school-based military education.
Humanitarian groups and war‑crimes researchers argue that using transferred children in hostilities would constitute a serious violation of international law, including prohibitions on the recruitment or use of children in armed conflict.
International bodies have already taken steps in response to the broader pattern of child transfers from Ukraine. Previous findings about deportations and reeducation programs contributed to moves by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court, who have said such policies may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Governments allied with Kyiv are pressing for fuller access to camp locations, the return of abducted children, and accountability mechanisms targeting Russian officials alleged to be overseeing the system, as per the New York Times.
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