Asked by: Johanna Baxter (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of reports of the alleged use of Ukrainian children by Russian forces in attacks on Ukrainian military assets.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russian authorities have introduced "military-patriotic" training in schools and in youth groups and expose Ukrainian children to military propaganda, urging enlistment in the Russian armed forces. This is a despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, and with it, Ukraine's future. We are also aware of reports that Russia is recruiting Ukrainian teenagers and young adults to carry out espionage and sabotage in Ukraine. We are determined to hold those responsible for the militarisation of Ukrainian children to account. In November 2024, we announced a third round of sanctions targeting those attempting to forcibly deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children, including through the use of "military-patriotic" education.