Russian forces in the temporarily occupied Donetsk region of Ukraine are forcibly subjecting orphaned children to military training under the leadership of armed militants. The so-called “Warrior” camp, situated in Donetsk and Amvrosiivka, is being used to train minors in warfare, with reports confirming that over 900 children have already passed through the camp’s programmes. This effort is part of Russia’s broader strategy to militarise and indoctrinate children in illegally occupied Ukrainian territories.
According to the Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation (CCD), the “Warrior” camp is not an educational facility but a training ground where children learn to operate unmanned aerial vehicles, apply tactical medicine, and use firearms. Many of the instructors are from Russian-backed armed groups and so-called “militias” affiliated with the illegal invasion.
The CCD further warns that the training of orphans for warfare is a clear breach of international humanitarian law and is being conducted with the deliberate intent of turning Ukrainian children into instruments of the Russian war machine. This comes as part of a broader pattern where Russia is funnelling funds into paramilitary youth organisations like “Yunarmia”, especially in occupied areas of Ukraine.
The militarisation of children has become systemic, with over 5,500 Ukrainian minors already enrolled in similar projects. Children in Mariupol, for example, are being trained to march in formation and handle weapons, illustrating a deliberate policy of erasing Ukrainian identity and nurturing a new generation of pro-Kremlin fighters.
Observers and international human rights bodies have repeatedly condemned such acts, describing them as war crimes and genocidal attempts to strip Ukraine of its future by corrupting its youngest and most vulnerable. The use of children in armed conflict, especially orphans who lack protection and support, reflects the brutal and exploitative nature of Russian occupation policies under the orders of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
This policy not only endangers the lives of Ukrainian children but also aims to destroy the fabric of Ukrainian civil society through systematic indoctrination.
