Were within artillery and UAV range: occupiers involved Luhansk children in religious events in the combat zone
Kyiv • UNN
On Christmas, near the contact line in Luhansk region, children were forcibly involved in religious events with the participation of Russian military personnel. This was done to create a propaganda picture, despite the risk of shelling.
On Christmas, religious events took place near the combat line in Luhansk region with the participation of servicemen of the 3rd Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation. Children, who were organizedly taken from the settlements of the temporarily occupied territories to the immediate frontline zone, were forcibly involved in these prayers, UNN reports with reference to the Center for National Resistance.
Details
As noted by the center, the main goal of the "events" is to create a "correct" propaganda picture with children, military personnel, and church symbols, despite the real threat of shelling and the death of minors.
According to the CNS, the locations of the prayers were within the reach of artillery and UAVs. The organizers knew about the risks but deliberately ignored them. Children were used as living props: they were placed next to soldiers, forced to stand during services, and participate in filming. Some children were brought by buses through schools and so-called patriotic associations, without the real consent of their parents.
A special role in these events was played by priests controlled by the occupation administration. It was they who accompanied the children in the frontline zone, blessed the military, and publicly justified the presence of minors at the front with rhetoric about "unity," "service," and "spiritual support for the army." In fact, the clergy became accomplices in the militarization of childhood, covering up dangerous actions with religious symbols
According to information from CNS analysts, it is known that refusal to participate in such events is recorded by the occupation administrations and can have consequences for families — from pressure on parents to problems in schools. This indicates that this is not a one-time initiative, but a systemic practice of using children as a tool of propaganda.
The occupation authorities of the Russian Federation and the religious structures controlled by them deliberately expose children to mortal danger for the sake of an informational effect. War is presented as a normal environment for minors, and children's lives are sacrificed for a picture of loyalty, where weapons, the front line, and "blessings" become part of a scenario imposed from childhood