Over the years of the armed conflict, Russia has established numerous youth movements in the occupied territories of Ukraine aimed at indoctrinating and militarizing children from these areas. Journalist Andriy Tsaplienko published a video showing children dressed in military-style uniforms chanting “Akhmat is strength” and “Allahu Akbar.” According to the author of the Telegram channel, the footage was filmed in occupied Ichkeria (Chechen Republic). However, the so-called “children’s camp” represents a direct continuation of Russia’s broader policy of indoctrination and militarization of children from Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

Research on so-called “patriotic movements” in Russia’s occupied territories has largely focused on organizations such as the Movement of the First and Yunarmiya. However, this is not the first instance in which members of the Akhmat armed formation have been involved in the indoctrination and militarization of children from Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories. In the year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the so-called “Special Forces University” in occupied Ichkeria reportedly hosted around 200 children—described as “troubled teenagers”—from the occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with the personal approval of Maria Lvova-Belova, under the federal program “Adolescents of Russia”.

Children from Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria

In February 2023, news broke about the opening of the “Academy of Friendship of Peoples Akhmat” camp, which sparked considerable debate. The main justification presented by its organizers was the promotion of “genuine Russian values among the younger generation.”

“…According to Dmitry Kuznetsov, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, children who complete the ‘intensive, serious, and army-style’ training in the spring will, in the future, become assistants to camp counselors. The counselors, as envisioned by the organizers, will be serving members of the larger Akhmat formation and ‘other respectable individuals.’ Selection for the camp will be on equal terms for all applicants, both boys and girls….”

Among others who supported the project were writer Zakhar Prilepin, producer Yusup Bakhshiev, and Major General Apti Alaudinov. Russian media and pro-Kremlin outlets claimed that “…the session was funded by the regional public foundation named after Hero of Russia Akhmat-Hadji Kadyrov.”

Image source: Telegram channel “Akhmat Kamerton Unit”

However, the website of the so-called “Academy of Friendship of Peoples Akhmat” mentions a project implemented with the support of the Presidential Grants Fund (the Presidential Grants Fund has been the sole operator of state support for non-commercial, non-governmental organizations in Russia since April 2017), application number: № 24-2-007548.

The organization that submitted the grant application is the Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization “Center for Humanitarian and Cultural Initiatives ‘Rassvet’,” with a total project funding of 6,314,049 ₽. The stated purpose of the camp is to test new forms of patriotic education for teenagers in order to establish a new movement, the “Children’s Academy of Friendship of Peoples Akhmat,” with active participation from children of families involved in the so-called special military operation (SMO).

Among the program’s features, it is noted that teenagers who demonstrate particular talents will undergo specialized courses led by programmers from the “Wagner Center” and participate in a military journalism school under the supervision of war blogger Roman Alekhin.

Left: Photo taken during the first session of the “Academy of Friendship of Peoples Akhmat.” Right: Image from a BRICS forum presentation, speaker Yusup Bakhshiev, member of the presidium of the All-Russian Public Organization “Union of Fathers.”

As of 2024, former Wagner PMC members have been incorporated into Akhmat, and despite the description in the Russian Presidential Grants Fund application, they were involved in the so-called “Academy of Friendship of Peoples Akhmat” from the very beginning. A deputy from the political party “A Just Russia — Patriots — For Truth”, who publicly proposed the creation of the camp under the auspices of the Akhmat armed formation, had previously financed Wagner PMC’s youth-related activities prior to the merger of Akhmat and Wagner.

When recruitment for the first session of the so-called “Akhmat Friendship Academy” was announced, the location of the program was not disclosed. The likely venue was the Lesnye Zori children’s recreation camp (Russian: «Лесные зори»). VK page: [https://vk.com/club6156169] (https://vk.com/club6156169)

Coordinates: 48.08640018342343, 39.38741440406575

What’s Behind “Lesnye Zori”?

According to information from publicly available Russian state registries, GBOU DO LNR “Children’s Recreation Camp ‘Lesnye Zori’” was registered on June 28, 2021.

Image source: https://www.audit-it.ru/contragent/1229400066059_gbou-do-lnr-detskiy-ozdorovitelnyy-lager-lesnye-zori Архів: https://archive.ph/14jqR

Taxpayer Identification Number (INN): 9409005928
Primary State Registration Number (OGRN): 1229400066059
Tax Registration Reason Code (KPP): 940901001
Primary business activity: 85.41.91 — organization of recreation and health programs for children.
Director: Oksana Petrovna Grygorenko (INN: 345914219077)

According to Russian state registry records, GBOU DO LNR “Children’s Recreation Camp ‘Lesnye Zori’” is registered at:
2A Gromova Lane, Rovenky, Luhansk People’s Republic, 294701.

Full Name: Oksana Petrovna Grygorenko
TIN (UA): 2994314668
TIN (RU): 345914219077
Date of birth: 24.12.1981
Registered address: 14 Gagarin Quarter, Apt. 102, Rovenky, Luhansk Region, 94707
Phone Number: 80643351520
Email: Vperedrovenki@Gmail.Com
Odnoklassniki: https://ok.ru/profile/250799520231
Employment: 13392846 — Rovenky City Employment Center

Who Is Behind the Militarization of Ukrainian Children?

This section identifies individuals involved in the indoctrination and militarization of children in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine’s Luhansk region. The list is not exhaustive and may be updated as new information becomes available.

The so-called “Akhmat Friendship Academy” was primarily organized by Dmitry Kuznetsov. The initiative was also endorsed by writer Zakhar Prilepin, producer Yusup Bakhshiev, and Major General Apti Alaudinov.

Source:https://rtvi.com/news/shkolnikov-otpravyat-v-chechnyu-i-lnr-uchitsya-patriotizmu-i-tolerantnosti/ Архів: https://archive.ph/jIo9I_

One of the organizers of the so-called “Akhmat Friendship Academy.” He is subject to sanctions imposed by the EU’s 27 member states, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Ukraine, and New Zealand.

He recognized the so-called “people’s republics” as independent states and supported calls for the exchange of pro-Russian civilian detainees — people accused in Ukraine of crimes against national security, including offenses under Article 436-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Kuznetsov’s VK post about the Public Center for Defense Innovation Support (OCPOI)

Yusup Bakhshiev is mentioned in Kuznetsov’s post:
“If you are ready to participate as a teacher or instructor, contact the Academy’s commissar, Yusup Bakhshiev. Your nationality does not matter. We will raise our children together. Mondaystartsonsaturday@mail.ru”

_Source: Kuznetsov’s Telegram channel, https://archive.ph/lfjun_

Image source: Personal Instagram profile

Source: https://www.kino-teatr.ru/kino/acter/m/ros/354/bio/?ysclid=lzdwdr99fd743739110

According to a biography published on his website, Bakhshiev was born on March 5, 1965, and graduated from the Kuibyshev Moscow Institute of Civil Engineering (MISИ).

In 1994, he opened the Moskovsky club in Moscow. He later opened the Bulgakov and Ministerstvo clubs. In 1998, his music company Eclectica received the Remix of the Year award for Samolet, a track by Tequilajazz.

Bakhshiev was also a co-founder of MB Productions, a studio involved in the production of April and Antikiller. He served as the creative producer of Antikiller and made a cameo appearance in Fyodor Bondarchuk’s film On the Move.

Bakhshiev and Lundersen were also members of the jury for a music competition organized for residents of Donbas.

Archived copy of the post: https://archive.ph/YHQ59](https://archive.ph/YHQ59

“Alexander Zaremba, Executive Director of the Russian Union of Fathers, Yusup Bakhshiev, director, screenwriter, producer and member of the Union of Fathers’ Presidium, and Mansur Anasov, head of Zakhar Prilepin’s International Humanitarian Headquarters, chief coordinator of the ‘Akhmat’ Internationalism Children’s Academy and aide to State Duma deputy Dmitry Kuznetsov, held a series of discussions with representatives of various countries aimed at establishing long-term cooperation based on shared interests.”
Source: Archived post from the Union of Fathers Telegram channel. https://archive.ph/eAYoI

Anastasia Valerianovna Kashevarova published a post on her Telegram channel:

“The children’s camp is being held under the auspices of the ‘Akhmat Friendship Academy.’ And you know what? It really is an academy of friendship. There were so many obstacles to launching it, from technical and administrative issues, but we all came together for the children and created a really great project.”
Archived Telegram post: https://archive.ph/7gzQL (пост від 14 липня 2024 року)

“Akhmat” / “Wagner” Personnel

The head of the Akhmat Special Forces medical service, known by the call sign “Bulya” (Буля), and “Garvey” (Гарвей), commander of the medical company of the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Army Corps, conducted a battlefield first-aid course for participants of the first session of the “Akhmat Friendship Academy.”

Before joining the Akhmat Special Forces, both men had served with the Wagner PMC. According to the available sources, “Bulya” had also been deployed to Africa before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Screenshot from a New York Times article

Nor did the head of the Akhmat Special Forces and 4th Brigade medical service, known by the call sign “Bulya,” remain on the sidelines, along with his deputy, “Garvey.”

The New York Times previously wrote about Bulya, identifying him as a surgeon who had worked for the Wagner PMC since 2017, primarily in Africa. According to the newspaper, Bulya said he encountered little respect in Moscow, while in Chechnya he felt he was treated differently.

As Russian casualties mounted, Bulya expressed support for Russia’s advance on Kyiv, rejecting negotiations and saying he hoped Vladimir Putin would “go all the way” and that Russian forces would eventually reach the Ukrainian capital.

![Скріншот з допису про участь ЧВК «Вагнер» в т.зв «Академії дружби Ахмат».webp]
Screenshot of a post about Wagner PMC involvement in the so-called “Akhmat Friendship Academy”.

Гатина Ульяна Владимировна/ Ульяна «Стриж» (Гатіна Уляна Валеріївна), Під час проведення зміни в «Академії дружби Ахмату», брала участь в якості вожатої та розповсюджувала матеріали із закликом долучатись до наступних змін.

Ulyana Vladimirovna Gatina / Ulyana “Strizh” (Ulyana Valeriivna Hatina)

During a session of the so-called “Akhmat Friendship Academy,” she participated as a camp counselor and distributed materials encouraging children to join subsequent sessions.

In April 2024, she received the “For Contribution to Victory over Ukrainian Nazism” medal from the Interregional Trade Union of Law Enforcement Officers of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. (https://vk.com/wall-208286188_2880?ysclid=lz1p9grd2k999887138).

Activities before joining the children’s camp: Participated in elections in the Novgorod Region representing the “A Just Russia — Patriots — For Truth” party; worked as a freelance correspondent for Vashi Novosti; volunteered for Zakhar Prilepin’s Foundation.

Served as Deputy Platoon Commander — Squad Commander (3rd Motor Rifle Battalion, 8th Motor Rifle Company, 2nd Motor Rifle Platoon, 1st Motor Rifle Squad, 4th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, 2nd Army Corps, Central Grouping of Troops, Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces).

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he participated in an illegal armed formation and took part in the assault on Debaltseve.

Russian State Duma deputy Dmitry Kuznetsov has stated that this was a joint project with Kreshtop. The website of the so-called “Akhmat Friendship Academy” lists him as the person responsible for recruiting children.

_Source: https://t.me/deputatdvkuznetsov/2191_

Roman Alekhin, described as a “social technologist,” heads the “We Are Together” volunteer movement, which provides assistance to Russian military personnel and civilians in the territories Russia claims to have annexed. He has also received an award from Akhmat.

According to the Russian Presidential Grants website, participants who successfully complete the school will have an opportunity to receive training from a military correspondent.

Image source: Alekhin’s Telegram channel

Image: Individuals involved in organizing the “Akhmat Friendship Academy” camp — Alexander Kreshtop (“Arab”), listed as the person responsible for the camp, and Ulyana Gatina (“Strizh”).

Akim Apachev spoke to the children participating in the camp as a lecturer. During his talk, he stated: “…Your children want to get out of here… Our children bring us weapons…” (https://t.me/akimapachev/6747)

_Correspondent for the Russian news outlet ANNA-News. In 2018, he lived in Liski, Voronezh Region, Russia. He is listed as a member of the so-called “Union of Donbas Volunteers.” He has also been associated with the so-called “DNR” security service and the Novorossiya Television Media Center, where he worked as a video engineer.

#Petr Lundstrem:

“…In reality, the Akhmat School is not about nationality at all. The name is, of course, associated with the name of Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov, but the idea is really about attempts to build personnel-development institutions, even if only as a grassroots initiative…”

In 2023, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lundstrem joined the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation as a member of its eighth convocation.

Serhii Mykhailovych Moskalkov spoke as a lecturer at the so-called “Akhmat Friendship Academy.”

Source: Telegram channel of State Duma deputy Dmitry Kuznetsov, https://t.me/deputatdvkuznetsov/2189

On her social media accounts, she did not publish any posts about the so-called “Akhmat Friendship Academy” that was held. However, she gave interviews to Russian media about the so-called academy. She had previously stated that Ukraine should be destroyed and Ukrainian children should be “reprogrammed” through propaganda. She also interviewed Ulyana “Strizh.”

Beyond the camp’s stated purpose — “testing new forms of patriotic education for adolescents to establish a new movement, the ‘Academy of Friendship of Peoples “Akhmat”’” — recruitment posts specified that children aged 10 to 17 could participate and that the event would take place in the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk region. These factors indicate the indoctrination and militarization of children, which constitutes a violation of children’s rights and the norms of international humanitarian law (IHL), and may be classified as a war crime or war crimes. Indoctrination and militarization are interconnected and constitute successive measures undertaken by the occupation authorities in the occupied territories.

Indoctrination is the systematic and organized process of influencing an individual with the aim of instilling particular ideas, beliefs, or views. This process may involve the manipulation of information, control over access to knowledge, and other methods intended to create or alter an individual’s beliefs in accordance with specific ideological or political objectives. Indoctrination can take place in various spheres of life, including religion, politics, and culture, and may have different effects on an individual’s psychological state. In the context of international law, this process is aimed at fostering loyalty to the occupation authorities among the civilian population of occupied territories.

Education, both formal and non-formal, is one of the tools of indoctrination. In the context of the armed conflict with the Russian Federation, education in the occupied territories is aimed not only at fostering a sense of belonging to the Russian Federation, but also at instilling the requirement to fulfill one’s “civic duty” through military service.

Militarization is the next stage following indoctrination, when minors develop the perception that they must fulfill their “civic duty.” It is aimed at encouraging individuals to join the armed forces and perform military service or fight for the country. The Fourth Geneva Convention and the Hague Regulations impose a number of obligations on the occupying power concerning territories under occupation and establish that such territories cannot be altered at the discretion of the occupying power.

Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the forcible transfer of inhabitants of temporarily occupied territories. Furthermore, the use of recreational activities for the effective “re-education” of children violates Article 8 (the child’s right to preserve their identity), Article 19 (protection of the child from all forms of physical and psychological violence, injury, or abuse), and Article 31 (the child’s right to rest and leisure) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which the Russian Federation is also a party.

At the same time, movements such as Yunarmiya and the so-called “Academy of Friendship of Peoples ‘Akhmat’” constitute deliberate actions aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity and may be classified as genocide.

Authors: Wednesday (OSINT&Law) and OSINT-Files