Juvenile prosecutors of the Office of the Prosecutor General reported suspicions against seven citizens of Ukraine for committing criminal offenses related to the involvement of minors in the activities of a military-patriotic movement controlled by the armed forces of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

They are charged with crimes committed as part of an organized group under Part 3 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438, Part 3 of Article 27, and Part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, in 2016, at the initiative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, a nationwide children's and youth military-patriotic movement called "Yunarmiya" was created. 

Its activities extend to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine – Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.

The goal of this movement is to involve Ukrainian children in military training and to instill "loyalty to the new homeland."

It has been established that the head of the regional headquarters of the so-called "Yunarmiya of the DPR," along with six leaders of local units, involved more than 6,000 Ukrainian children in the Donetsk region from 2019 to 2025. Children were promised benefits and career opportunities in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

The suspects promoted the enlistment of minors into the ranks of the Russian army, organized military training – teaching the use of weapons, drill exercises, and participation in "military" events. They also produced and distributed materials that denied the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and justified it.

There have been numerous cases where, after reaching adulthood, graduates of the so-called "Yunarmiya" joined the Russian army and participated in combat actions against Ukraine.

On March 15, 2022, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation issued an order to involve members of the "Yunarmiya" in the so-called "special military operation."

According to the Strategy for the Development of Patriotic Education in the Russian Federation, at least 10% of recruits to the armed forces should come from the "Yunarmiya."

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child emphasized in its report dated March 1, 2024, that the Russian Federation must immediately cease the policy of politicization and militarization of children in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is conducted by the Main Investigative Department of the National Police of Ukraine.

For the commission of the specified crimes, a punishment of up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property is provided.

Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a guilty verdict of the court.