East SOS Findings Featured in OSCE Report on Militarization of Ukrainian Children
On July 9, 2026, independent experts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) presented a report on the militarization and indoctrination of Ukrainian children by the russian federation. Among the sources cited are materials produced by the East SOS War Crimes Documentation Program, including the analytical report “Violations of International Humanitarian Law Affecting Education in Ukraine (February 2022 – May 2025)”. Overall, the OSCE report contains five references to the East SOS research.
Established under the Moscow Mechanism at the initiative of 41 OSCE participating states, the expert mission documented violations, analyzed russian legislation and education policies and their impact on the rights of Ukrainian children, and developed recommendations aimed at protecting children and ensuring accountability for those responsible.
The experts concluded that russia’s policy towards Ukrainian children constitutes a deliberate and systematic effort to erase Ukrainian identity. The report states that the systematic indoctrination and militarization of children may amount to the crime against humanity of persecution. Certain practices, including torture and unlawful deportation, may also constitute war crimes.
The report emphasizes that this system did not emerge in 2022. It was first introduced in temporarily occupied Crimea in 2014. Following the start of the full-scale invasion, russia expanded these practices to other temporarily occupied territories, making them more aggressive and widespread.
East SOS materials were also used in the analysis of the introduction of russian propaganda into schools in temporarily occupied territories, the persecution of educators with pro-Ukrainian views, the displacement of Ukrainian content from educational materials, and restrictions on children’s access to Ukrainian culture. The experts also relied on testimonies documented by the East SOS War Crimes Documentation Program concerning children killed and injured as a result of actions by the russian military personnel.
Key violations highlighted in the report include:
russian propaganda has become part of school education
Schools in temporarily occupied territories have introduced mandatory propaganda classes, including the so-called Conversations About Important Things lessons.
These lessons are used to impose russian historical and political narratives, foster loyalty to the occupying state, and erase Ukrainian identity.
Educators with pro-Ukrainian views are persecuted
Teachers who refuse to implement russian educational program or maintain ties with Ukraine’s education system face intimidation.
Documented abuses include threats, searches, violence, and forced displacement from temporarily occupied territories.
Ukrainian content is removed from educational materials
Before replacing Ukrainian textbooks with russian ones, the occupation authorities altered existing Ukrainian publications.
Ukrainian state symbols and other references to Ukraine were removed or concealed.
Children’s access to Ukrainian culture is restricted
The russian occupation authorities confiscate Ukrainian books and other literature from both public institutions and private collections.
These actions restrict children’s right to information and their access to their native language, culture, and national identity.
Children are killed and injured as a result of actions by the russian military
The OSCE experts relied on testimonies documented by East SOS from survivors and witnesses regarding children who were killed or injured.
In preparing the report, the experts reviewed materials from international organizations, state authorities, media outlets, and civil society organizations, while also conducting interviews and meetings with survivors, educators, and representatives of Ukrainian institutions. The mission engaged with representatives of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the Security Service of Ukraine, and other state institutions. The experts also received information from civil society organizations.
The inclusion of East SOS research in this international report strengthens the evidentiary basis for documenting these violations, contributes to the protection of the rights of Ukrainian children, and supports future efforts to hold russia and those responsible accountable.
The full OSCE report is available here.
East SOS recently published testimonies of students living in temporarily occupied territories.
