Social elevator in exchange for loyalty: Russia "buys" youth in the occupied territories - CCD
Kyiv • UNN
A program has been launched in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) to train local elites loyal to the Kremlin. Imperial myths are being imposed on the youth for their future work in the interests of Moscow.
Russia continues to invest significant resources in the ideological indoctrination of youth in order to form loyal elites in the occupied territories in the long term. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (CCD), as relayed by UNN.
Details
It is noted that this is evidenced, in particular, by the large-scale Kremlin personnel program "Territory of New Opportunities": occupation resources report more than 2,700 applications from residents of the TOT (temporarily occupied territories). Participants are promised training and work with Russian mentors and teachers.
The declared goals of the program—"countering historical fakes" and "engaging youth in socially useful activities"—clearly indicate the Kremlin's true objectives. Under the guise of "training," the occupiers are attempting to artificially create a network of local public opinion leaders who will be integrated into the vertical of power in the TOT in the future and act exclusively in the interests of Moscow. Furthermore, through lectures on "historical truth," Russian imperial myths are imposed on the youth, completely displacing the Ukrainian cultural and historical context,
They add that such programs are presented by the occupiers as care for the youth in the TOT and the provision of "social elevators," although in reality, the Kremlin is simply using young people as a tool to consolidate its geopolitical positions.
Recall
According to CCD estimates, Russia continues to scale up the practices of militarizing children in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, turning teenagers into a mobilization resource for future wars.