Exposed: Russia Training Abducted Ukrainian Children in Over 210 Camps

New research shows a vast network across Russia where abducted Ukrainian children are exposed to forced military training and re-education, some as far as 5,600 km from home.

Vast System of Forced Deportations

Russia is running a massive network of over 210 locations where abducted Ukrainian children are being held for military training, forced re-education, and drone manufacturing.

This news is based on a new report published by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) and funded by the U.S. State Department.

Military Indoctrination

The findings, reported by TVPWorld on Tuesday, build on previous research and uncover more than 150 new sites — many of them previously unknown — where children are subjected to militarization and ideological indoctrination.

Yale’s team says the number of children affected could be as high as 35,000.

What the Report Found

The HRL’s new findings are based on satellite imagery, open-source intelligence, and official Russian statements.

The report reveals that half of the facilities involved are operated directly by the Russian government. At least 39 of these locations are used for active military training.

Children are housed in a range of institutions, including cadet academies, orphanages, camps, medical facilities, and even religious institutions.

Children as Young as Eight

Some of the children, reportedly as young as eight years old, are subjected to activities such as drone assembly, grenade throwing, shooting competitions, and combat readiness drills.

In one striking example, children from the occupied Donetsk region were flown to a Russian military base for “air training” aboard a plane operated by the Russian Presidential Administration.

‘Unprecedented System’ of Indoctrination

“This is potentially an unprecedented system of large-scale re-education and militarization,” the report states. HRL director Nathaniel Raymond told Reuters:

“The good news is that we now fully understand the magnitude of the problem we face. The bad news is that solving this problem, bringing these children home, depends on absolute global unity.”

The investigation found that children had been transported up to 5,600 kilometers away from Ukraine, to places across the Russian Federation, and in some cases into Belarus.

Kremlin Denial, ICC Arrest Warrants

While the Kremlin continues to deny that any children are being forcibly deported, the findings directly contradict Russia’s claim that these are voluntary evacuations from war zones.

Yale’s earlier research contributed to international arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2023 against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Kremlin’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights.

They stand accused of war crimes involving the illegal deportation of children.

Number May be Higher

This latest report follows up on Yale’s earlier work, which tracked 314 Ukrainian children placed up for adoption in Russia — a clear violation of international humanitarian law.

That number is now understood to be far higher.

Civilian Sites Turned into Tools of Indoctrination

Newly identified sites include a range of civilian institutions that have been repurposed for political and military objectives.

Some secondary schools have been converted into indoctrination centers, while sanatoriums are now being used as long-term housing for deported children.

Enrolled in “Patriotic” Programs

Military bases have been repurposed to facilitate combat and drone training, and universities are hosting programs focused on propaganda education.

In addition, several camps have been identified where children are enrolled in so-called “patriotic” programs aimed at reshaping their political views and loyalties.

“They Lived in Fear and Humiliation”

Despite the scale of the operation, Ukrainian efforts to retrieve deported children are ongoing.

Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner recently announced that over 1,600 children have been successfully returned so far. This week, 16 more children were rescued and brought back home.

“They spent years under the pressure of the Russian occupation, in fear and humiliation,” wrote Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Telegram.

A Crime Still Unfolding

With the number of confirmed locations rising from 43 in 2023 to more than 210 in 2025, the scale of Russia’s deportation and re-education campaign is coming into sharper focus — and so is its alleged illegality.

Ukraine maintains that the campaign constitutes a violation of the Geneva Conventions and continues to call on the international community to intervene, investigate, and prosecute those responsible.

This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, which may have used AI in the preparation