Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia are forced to make drones for the Russian army: investigation.

Children of Ukraine kidnapped during the war are forced to produce military equipment

According to The Sun: According to a horrific study, thousands of Ukrainian children who were kidnapped during the war are being forced to produce military equipment used against their homeland.

Many innocent children have been transferred to over 200 camps across Russia, where they are subjected to brainwashing, being made tools in the hands of the mad Vladimir Putin.

Satellite images show that children are being used as slaves to assemble drones and other materials that fuel the tyrant's war machine in Ukraine. Military training has been observed at about 40 of these sites, where children as young as eight are held, including ceremonial parades, training events, and combat training.

Authorities noted that this indicates that Kremlin puppets are training children to fight against their native country, calling their use 'a weapon' against Ukraine and other states.

“For those of us who have watched Putin's actions up close for more than a decade, we have become well accustomed to their evasions, distortions, and calculating indifference. “We are shocked by the scale, logistical and operational capabilities that Russia is employing — using children, who are always the most vulnerable victims in armed conflicts, is deliberately cruel,” said Daria Gerasymchuk, advisor and commissioner for children's rights and rehabilitation for the President of Ukraine.

Since Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, thousands of Ukrainian children have been kidnapped and sent to at least 210 facilities in Russia and occupied territories. These locations range from summer camps and sanatoriums to military bases and, in one case, a monastery, according to a study by the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab.

Russia has been known for its practices of deportation, re-education, militarization, and forced adoption of Ukrainian children from occupied territories since 2014. However, since the start of Putin's invasion, these horrific efforts have significantly increased.

The Humanitarian Research Lab used satellite images and open sources to identify and track Ukrainian children kidnapped during the war. Its horrific report, 'Stolen Children of Ukraine: Inside the Network of Re-education and Militarization of Russia', reveals Moscow's alarming efforts to brainwash these young minds.

Horrific practices and military training

Children have been gathered and moved to at least eight different types of locations. These include military schools, medical facilities, religious sites, secondary schools and universities, hotels, family support centers, orphanages, and camps.

At least two new military schools have been built, and at least 49 of the 210 locations have been expanded since the war began.

Children are forced to develop 'fire and sea training skills' at some sites as part of a distorted militarization campaign. They are required to participate in 'shooting and grenade throwing competitions,' as well as undergo training in 'tactical medicine, drone management, and tactics.'

In one case, young people from the Donetsk region underwent 'parachute training' at a military base.

“The report shows that Russia is ready to use the children of Ukraine as 'weapons' against Ukraine and Europe in a broader context,” said Daria Gerasymchuk.

This is part of a continuing campaign by Russia aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity, the centerpiece of which is the Russification and militarization of Ukrainian children.

Some young people were temporarily held before being returned home, while others remain indefinitely in captivity. Many of them have fallen into the networks of so-called family centers, and some have been subjected to forced upbringing and adoption programs in Russia.

For those who return, Ukrainian authorities reported the difficulty of reintegrating such children.

“The rehabilitation of children returning from deportation is one of the most sensitive and complex aspects of our work,” Gerasymchuk noted.

She emphasized that return is not the end, as many children return with deep psychological traumas.

Using children as 'weapons'

“Russia uses kidnapped and brainwashed children as 'weapons', warned Diana Zarivna, one of the advisors to the president.

She added that without the return of thousands of kidnapped children, there will be no peace agreement. Moscow officials are trying to strip the children of their Ukrainian heritage and brainwash them into becoming Russian citizens.

Unfortunately, many children are experiencing abuse and violence.

It is important to note that there are currently about 1.6 million Ukrainian children in temporarily occupied territories, where they are subjected to indoctrination and militarization.

Ukraine is now working on a child reintegration system that includes medical assistance, psychological support, legal aid, housing, and access to education.

Reports of these horrific practices raise concerns and calls for action on an international level to ensure the safety and return of all kidnapped children.