How Occupiers Are Destroying Education in Kherson Oblast – Insights from East SOS Analyst

Speaking in a YouTube episode by the Vgoru media platform, Nazarii Lutsenko, Analyst with East SOS’s War Crimes Documentation team, discussed how schools operate under occupation, why russia is intensifying the unification of the educational process, and which violations of international humanitarian law are being documented by human rights defenders.

During the discussion, Nazarii Lutsenko referred to the analytical report “Violations of International Humanitarian Law Affecting Education in Ukraine (February 2022 – May 2025)”, presented by East SOS in February this year.

The analyst noted that the occupiers involve pupils in russian military training and propaganda activities, including the promotion of Soviet propaganda narratives. He also emphasized that despite increasing pressure, intimidation, and ongoing terror, children, parents, and educators continue to quietly resist – by refusing to participate in propaganda events, studying remotely in Ukrainian schools, and, in some cases, leaving temporarily occupied territories in pursuit of Ukrainian education.

The discussion also featured Valeriia Kuberska, Lawyer at the NGO “Center for Civil Education “Almenda”, who shared insights into collecting testimonies about violations of children’s rights in temporarily occupied territories.

Watch the full video here.

War crimes documentation by the East SOS team is carried out within the project “Support for War-Affected Vulnerable Groups and Residents of Remote Areas of Ukraine” with financial support from the European Union. The contents of these materials are the sole responsibility of the Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.