Russia politicizes children's sports in the temporarily occupied territories and pressures coaches - Center for Countering Disinformation
Kyiv • UNN
Russians are politicizing children's sports in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, turning sections and clubs into platforms for propaganda. In Enerhodar, Berdiansk, and Melitopol, the occupiers are forcing coaches to "raise patriots of Russia."
Russians in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region are increasingly trying to politicize children's sports, turning sections and clubs into platforms for propaganda. This is reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), transmits UNN.
Details
According to activists of the "Yellow Ribbon" resistance movement, in Energodar, Berdiansk, and Melitopol, the occupiers began to force local coaches to "educate patriots of Russia."
Representatives of the occupation administrations even visit swimming or badminton sections, demanding to conduct "educational conversations" and promote political messages during training
It is noted that in parallel with this, sports topics have significantly intensified on propaganda information resources created by the occupiers for the Zaporizhzhia region.
Numerous stories appear about the "successes" of young athletes or the holding of competitions with an overt ideological subtext – for example, in one of the schools in Berdiansk, a volleyball tournament was held under the title "I remember! I am proud!", dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the "great victory"
At the same time, officials of the occupation "ministry of sports" demonstratively visit sports schools, trying to create a picture of "caring for youth."
"This indicates that Russia deliberately uses sports in the occupied territories as a tool of ideological control and imposing Russian propaganda on children," the Center for Countering Disinformation added.
Recall
In occupied Donetsk and Luhansk, new textbooks on the history of Donbas and Novorossiya for students in grades 5-7 were presented. These books, created under the leadership of Vladimir Medinsky, impose the myth of the connection between the occupied territories and Russia and the image of Ukraine as an enemy.