Occupiers Launch Cossack Classes with Military Training in Mariupol and Donetsk

Introduction of Cossack Classes in Occupied Territories

According to Главком: Starting September 1, 2023, Cossack classes will begin operating in the occupied areas of Donetsk Oblast, featuring military training, patriotic indoctrination, and the study of Cossack history as interpreted by Russia. The announcement was made by Ataman Alexander Yefremenko, head of the Union of Cossacks of Novorossiya. These classes will be established in four cities: Mariupol, Donetsk, Makiivka, and Dokuchaievsk.

The occupation administration promises to integrate a so-called Cossack component into the curriculum, which will include studying Cossack history through a Russian lens, patriotic and spiritual education, as well as basic military preparation. Students enrolled in these Cossack classes will receive advantages when applying to cadet corps and Cossack higher education institutions in Russia. It remains unclear which specific schools in Mariupol will host these classes.

Yunarmiya Activities in Kherson Region

Additionally, a new branch of Yunarmiya, a pro-Russian youth military-patriotic movement, has been opened in Oleshky, located in the occupied Kherson region. Local schoolchildren took a solemn oath in a ceremony attended by military personnel and security forces. Furthermore, teams from occupied Ukrainian territories recently won the Zarnitsa 2.0 competition. In the occupied Kherson region, the enemy is also training children for service in punitive agencies, involving youth in military exercises in Crimea, and teaching schoolchildren how to operate drones.

These new initiatives implemented by the occupation administration are part of a system aimed at the ideological education of young people under occupation.

The introduction of Cossack classes and Yunarmiya activities in occupied territories signals an intensification of ideological control over youth, which could have long-term societal consequences. These efforts are designed to foster loyalty to the occupation authorities through patriotic upbringing and military training, potentially reshaping the values of the younger generation in these areas. Thus, these measures serve both educational and political purposes, strengthening Russia's influence over local youth.

The recent establishment of Cossack classes in Mariupol and Donetsk is part of a broader strategy by the occupation authorities to shape the ideology of youth in the region. Similarly, in the Kherson area, a new youth military unit has been launched, compelling schoolchildren to take an oath and participate in military training. This pattern of indoctrination highlights the ongoing efforts to integrate military and patriotic education into the lives of young people in occupied territories.