In March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for his role in the mass abduction of Ukrainian children. The ICC’s allegations made headlines around the world, helping to raise international awareness about the thousands of Ukrainian children who have been abducted by Russia and subjected to a program of indoctrination designed to rob them of their Ukrainian nationality.
In addition to these well-publicized abductions, Russia is also conducting a far larger indoctrination initiative that targets hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian schoolchildren throughout occupied Ukraine. In areas under Russian occupation, the Kremlin is imposing an openly imperialistic school curriculum that denies the legitimacy of Ukrainian statehood and underlines the Russian government’s commitment to erasing Ukrainian identity altogether.
Ever since the onset of Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2014, Moscow’s ambitions have extended far beyond conventional territorial gains. Over the past decade, Ukrainian classrooms in regions under Kremlin control have become an important battleground, with Russia intent on reshaping not only international borders but also national identities.
Voice of Ukraine 