"May Have Already Lost Lives"... Russia's Military Losses Grow, Sending 'Boy Soldiers' to Ukraine?

Multiple International Human Rights Organizations Raise Suspicions
Russia Recruits Child Soldiers from Far-Right Group 'Cheongnyeonggun'
Military Training, Propaganda, and Indoctrination for Minors Aged 8-18

A young child belonging to the Russian far-right group 'Cheongnyeongun' reading a letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin. / Photo by Twitter Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] As Russia's invasion of Ukraine prolongs, allegations have emerged from international human rights organizations that the Russian military is recruiting 'boy soldiers' to replenish its forces, which is expected to cause a significant uproar.

On the 17th (local time), the British media outlet Daily Mail cited statements from multiple international human rights organization officials, reporting that "to replace approximately 30,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded in the Ukraine war, Russian authorities are conscripting 16-year-old youths."

According to the outlet, the Russian military is currently recruiting boy soldiers through 'Yunarmia,' a youth far-right organization known within Russia.

Yunarmia was established in 2015 and officially unveiled to the Russian public in 2016, one year after Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. The organization is known to conduct military training and foster patriotism among Russian youth. The recruitment age range for Yunarmia varies from 8 to 18 years old.

The Daily Mail reported that Yunarmia is at the center of Russian government propaganda and public indoctrination policies, with over 200,000 youths registered nationwide and more than 10,000 in the capital, Moscow alone.

Human rights groups have raised the possibility that some youths registered with Yunarmia, after receiving military training, have been transferred to the Ukrainian front lines. A human rights official told the Daily Mail, "Some may have already been deployed in combat and lost their lives."

On the 3rd (local time), civilian bodies wrapped in black tarps were abandoned in pits throughout Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, Ukraine, from which Russian forces have retreated. Allegations have been raised that the Russian military deliberately massacred civilians. / Photo by Yonhap News

If the Russian military has indeed deployed underage boy soldiers to the battlefield, this constitutes a clear violation of international law. Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukraine's Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, stated, "Recruiting boy soldiers is a violation of international law," and pointed out that "Russian authorities have breached international laws protecting civilians and children's rights as stipulated in the 1949 Geneva Conventions."

There have already been indications of war crimes suspected to have been committed by Russian forces in some parts of Ukraine.

On the 6th, Marina Veshchastna, deputy mayor of Ivankiv in northern Ukraine, testified in an interview with a Western media outlet that "Russian troops dragged women by their hair from basements," and that "underage sisters aged 15 and 16 were sexually assaulted."

On the 3rd, numerous civilian bodies brutally killed were discovered in areas such as Bucha, Hostomel, and Irpin, which had been occupied and then withdrawn from by Russian forces.

Regarding this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned in an interview with the U.S. media outlet CBS, stating, "(Russia) is trying to eliminate Ukraine," and added, "They are destroying and massacring us because we do not want to be ruled by the policies of the Russian Federation. This is happening now in 21st-century Europe."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.