Russia’s spiritual and moral culture and a 102-fold increase in cadet classes: occupiers erase children’s identity in the temporarily occupied territories

In the occupied territories, children are forced to study Russia’s “spiritual and moral” culture.

Separately, “patriotic” youth movements operate in the occupied territories, to which Russia allocates large funds. In 2025, more than $10 million was allocated to such movements, and in 2026, funding increased to $16 million.

This was stated by Tetiana Lychko, a documentarian at the Almenda Center for Human Rights, during a briefing at the Ukraine Media Center.

“This subject is compulsory, and it promotes serving the state above human rights. Starting next school year, it will be compulsory in the temporarily occupied territories,” the expert noted.

Also, according to her, in 2025 alone, Russian law enforcement agencies created 479 cadet classes in schools.

“In Crimea alone, the number of cadet classes increased 102 times during the occupation. While there were only three in 2015, there were 306 in 2025,” Tetiana Lychko emphasized.

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