Around 1.6 million Ukrainian children living in Russian-controlled territories are being subjected to a system of indoctrination and militarization that may amount to a crime against humanity, according to a report by independent experts commissioned by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The report, presented in Vienna under the OSCE’s “Moscow Mechanism,” concludes that Russia has created an institutionalized system aimed at reshaping the identity of children in occupied Ukrainian territories.

“We believe that this system may constitute the crime of persecution, which is considered a crime against humanity,” said French expert Hervé Assianco. He added that children and their families were targeted when they attempted to preserve their Ukrainian identity.

Latvian expert Elina Steinerte said the authorities had reportedly issued conscription notices to young people in occupied territories earlier than in other parts of Russia.

The report also documents weapons training programmes and military camps, citing cases of young adults who were conscripted and later sent to fight on the front lines in Ukraine.

Some young people interviewed by researchers said they had left occupied areas without informing their families in order to avoid conscription.

The experts recommend that the protection of children be included in any future ceasefire or peace negotiations, alongside the creation of humanitarian corridors to help reunite families.

Ukraine has already introduced “reintegration programmes,” Steinerte said, but added that the scale of the task ahead remains “enormous.”

The report estimates that the alleged violations affect around 1.6 million children living in Crimea and Ukrainian regions partially occupied by Russia. Kyiv says that 20,610 Ukrainian children have been transferred to Russian territory.

The investigation was launched on May 14 by 41 OSCE participating states and is the sixth OSCE Moscow Mechanism mission focused on Ukraine since 2022. This latest inquiry examined the militarization and indoctrination of children.

Experts conducted interviews and investigations in Ukraine between June 6 and 11. Russia did not cooperate with the preparation of the report.