From "Junarmia" - to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: as a youth movement in Crimea teaches children to fight against Ukraine
On May 28, mass events were held in the territory of the Russian Federation, dedicated to the seventh anniversary of the creation of the youth militaristic organization "UNARMIA". The official website states that the initiator of the launch of the movement in 2016 was the Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoig. During its existence, about 1 million 300,000 teenagers entered the organization.
Of particular importance for Ukraine is that the organization actively involves children in the occupied territories. Valentina Potapova, Head of the National Advocacy in the field of education of the Almena Civil Education Center, reported that more than 30,000 minor residents of Crimea have joined "UNARMIA". In the comment of focus Oleg Okhredko, analyst and expert Almena, suggests that tens of thousands of teenagers also became members of the organization in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The centers of the militaristic movement have already appeared in the Ukrainian regions, which were occupied after February 24, 2022 - Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions. In the winter of this year, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation told the history of the Crimean of Elijah Zozulsky, who was a mentor in "Junarmia" on the peninsula, and then at his own request went to fight against Ukraine. Oleg Okhredko is convinced that this is how the militaristic organization works.
It is not designed to simply load children with sports activities or occupy games, but instead prepares from children future soldiers who willingly join the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and obey any criminal orders. "First of all, it should be noted that it is a movement that is aimed at the formation of a certain attitude to life in children," the expert explains.
According to him, teenagers are taught self -sacrifice for the sake of "great idea" - "protection of the Motherland". They are conditionally imposed on the idea that "die for Russia" is honorable and noble. A prerequisite for this preparation is also the creation of an image of an "enemy" that should be warned. "Very often this" enemy "is with you, that is, not only Ukraine as a state but also the Ukrainians themselves.
They are imposed that Ukraine has never existed as an individual state that there are no Ukrainians, and they themselves are Russians, rather even" Russian, "says Okhredko. In the conditions of a full -scale war, the militaristic propaganda of the organization has only intensified. " Our study shows that a lot of children who passed "Junarmia", and continue to serve in the Russian army for ideological reasons.
In Crimea, this is noticeable according to the so -called commanders from this movement, who joined the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and fight against Ukraine, " - adds the expert. The very idea of" Junarmia "is a new play of the well Italian fascist Balilli. Of course, officially joining the youth movement is absolutely voluntary, but in practice it turns out a little different.
As Ohredko notes, a few years ago the Ministry of Defense of Russia issued an order according to which the children of Russian officers had to join "UNARMIA" . In addition, the units of the organization are created in orphants, and there the pupils also have no choice - they are credited to the movement. The expert reminds that in the same occupied Crimea the first detachments of "UNARMIA" were opened with the participation of the so -called "Ministry of Education.
" Everything happens under a very broad accompaniment at the official level, which creates additional moral pressure on the population. "These children [" junarmians "] are dressed, fed, constantly occupied, so some of the parents in the occupied territories, who call themselves" apolitical ", independently send themselves Children to the organization, because they believe that they will be better, " - says the analyst.
At the same time, people do not realize that the only future that offers the "patriotic" movement of their children is death on the battlefield for false ideas. The main question of the work of "UNARMIA" in the territory of Crimea and other occupied territories of Ukraine is further actions after the liberation of these regions.
Conditionally - what to do with these children who have been taught to hate Ukrainians and have a weapon? Will they not become such a "slow-acting bomb" that will explode in 5-10-15 years after the war? Okhredko assures that this will not happen. "There is no risk of such a mass" explosion ". Of course, there may be some personal manifestations, because it is difficult today to say how it will affect each person separately.
Especially when it comes to the child's psyche," the focus interlocutor explains. According to him, after the liberation of the territories to the re -education of adolescents who have passed "UNARMIA", a comprehensive approach should be applied. Psychologists should work with children, and in parallel it is necessary to work with teachers and parents, who were also influenced by Russian propaganda. "One of the important ways is the development of critical thinking.
It is necessary to show children what really happened, one has to teach them to think. But this cannot be done with coercion," the expert says. Currently, Almena experts are already working on their proposals for the reintegration of the liberated Ukrainian territories. To do this, analysts first study the experience of those countries that have already gone through similar stages in history.