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- New sanctions target those supporting Putin’s attempts to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukraine’s children and erase their Ukrainian cultural heritage.
- Package of 11 designations includes leading Russian officials and state-linked youth organisations.
- Defence intelligence demonstrates that Russia is pursuing a long-standing Russification policy in illegally temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, seeking to eradicate Ukrainian culture, identity and statehood.
Perpetrators of Russia’s heinous policy to deport, indoctrinate and militarise Ukrainian children have been sanctioned today [3 September] by the UK. These include eight individuals and three organisations affiliated with the Russian state.
This announcement comes as defence intelligence shows that Russia is pursuing a long-standing Russification policy in illegally temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, seeking to eradicate Ukrainian culture identity and statehood.
UN reporting shows that the Russian Federation have enforced Russian curriculum in schools in the temporarily occupied territories and implemented training which prepares children for Russian military service.
By continuing our steadfast support to Ukraine we are delivering our Plan for Change to enhance the UK’s security. To date, more than 19,500 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or deported by the Russian authorities to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Of these an estimated 6,000 Ukrainian children have been relocated to a network of re-education camps. Once there, they are subjected to indoctrination efforts which seek to erode their Ukrainian identity and instil pro-Russian sentiments, a strategy dating back to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea more than 10 years ago.
These re-education camps seek to spread Russian propaganda, encourage pro-Russian patriotism and prepare young people for military service in the Russian armed forces.
Russian authorities expose Ukrainian children to a curriculum that rewrites Russian and Ukrainian history, glorifies Russian military actions, and promotes allegiance to Russia – and in some cases involves military training.
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:
The Kremlin’s policy of forced deportations, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children is despicable, and demonstrates the depths of depravity that President Putin will reach to erase Ukrainian language, culture and identity.
To take a child from their home and seek to forcibly erase their heritage and upbringing through lies and disinformation can never be tolerated. No child should ever be a pawn of war and that is why we are holding those responsible to account.”
These latest sanctions target the individuals and entities who support and carry out this insidious policy of attempting to erase Ukrainian culture. This includes organisations such as the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation which runs re-education programmes for Ukrainian children and teenagers, subjecting them to militaristic training. Aymani Nesievna Kadyrova, President of the Foundation, and mother of sanctioned Kremlin-aligned Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has been sanctioned today as well.
Also sanctioned is Valery Maiorov, the Head of ‘Teenage Programs Center’, a state-funded organisation that aims to turn children in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories against Ukraine and instead become patriotic to Russia and Russian values.
Deputy Director of the Department of State Policy in the Field of Children’s Rights Protection in the Ministry of Education, Anastasia Pavlovna Akkuratova, was also sanctioned today for her role in the state-organised indoctrination and Russification of Ukrainian children.
Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard MP, said:
The UK is stepping up to take firm action against this disgraceful practice. Putin continues to demonstrate he is not serious about peace, launching some of the largest attacks against Ukraine since the start of the war in recent weeks, which is why it is vital we continue to work with our partners and allies to continue to apply pressure for him to negotiate.
We must continue to support Ukraine’s fight to defend the freedoms and values we closely share in the UK, putting them in strongest position on the battlefield and in any negotiations that follow.”
The UK stands firmly with Ukraine and calls for the return of all Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred and deported. This must be an unconditional action, and those who have been responsible for pursuing these heinous policies must be held to account.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion the UK has committed £21.8 billion in support for Ukraine including £13 billion in military aid and up to £5.3 billion in non-military support.
Notes to editors
- In November 2024 the UK announced new sanctions against perpetrators of Russia’s forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children.
- You can find more information on the UK’s support for Ukraine here.
- Sanctioned today are;
- Valery MAIOROV
- Nataliya Vitaliyivna TYSHCHENKO
- All-Russian public-state movement of children and youth “Movement of the First”
- Zamid Alievich CHALAYEV
- Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation
- Aymani Nesievna KADYROVA
- Leyla Rinatovna FAZLEEVA
- Rinat Nailevich SADYKOV
- Aleksandr GUROV
- Anastasia Pavlovna AKKURATOVA
- Volunteers of Victory
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