Russia Establishes 'De-Ukrainization' Centers In Occupied Areas Of Zaporizhzhya

Russia is establishing several re-education centers in temporarily occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhya region, according to a report. These re-education centers aim to impose the Russian identity on the region's Ukrainian population in a process that Ukrainska Pravda called "de-Ukrainisation."

The opening of the Russian propaganda centers was first reported by the Ukrainian government's National Resistance Center, which cited Yevgeny Barinov, head of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs of the Russian Federation.

"The analysis of the information field of the TOT of the Zaporizhzhya region indicates the deployment of a purposeful campaign aimed at imposing Russian identity on the local population and forcing them to integrate into the socio-cultural space of the Russian Federation," the National Resistance Center reported.

"Thus, the statement of the head of the Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs of the Russian Federation Yevhen Barinov, in which he announced the opening of a network of representative offices of this agency at the TOT of the Zaporizhzhya region with the aim of strengthening Russian identity and international unity in regions that have only recently been freed from the oppression of Ukrainian propaganda, is being widely circulated," the report continued.

In addition to the camps, the National Resistance Center also said that Russia is collaborating with Russian public organizations to create "education" programs and implement "humanitarian programs" for the Ukrainian residents of Zaporizhzhia.

This is not the first time news about Russia establishing camps aimed at "re-education" the Ukrainian population came out. In February this year, the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab published a report wherein it was said that at least 6,000 Ukrainian children have been enrolled in Russian camps for "pro-Russia patriotic and military-related education."

Early last month, the Sunday Times published a piece wherein it accused Ukrainian children of being subjected to prison-like conditions, beatings and sexual violence in the re-education camps. The outlet cited Inessa Vertash, the mother of 15-year-old Vitaly who took a trip to a camp at the urging of his school teacher. Vitaly remains in captivity.

Apart from re-education, some Ukrainian children who were taken to the camps had also been forcibly put up for adoption.