{"id":7665,"date":"2025-04-08T17:02:24","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T15:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/almenda.org\/?p=7665"},"modified":"2025-04-08T17:02:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T15:02:24","slug":"rol-yaltinskogo-oseredku-dtsaaf-u-militarizacii-ditej-na-timchasovo-okupovanij-teritorii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/almenda.org\/en\/rol-yaltinskogo-oseredku-dtsaaf-u-militarizacii-ditej-na-timchasovo-okupovanij-teritorii\/","title":{"rendered":"The Role of the Yalta Branch of DOSAAF in the Militarisation of Children in the Temporarily Occupied Territory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol have been under the occupation of the Russian Federation (hereinafter \u2013 RF, Russia) for over 11 years. During this time, Russia has established a comprehensive system for the eradication of Ukrainian identity among children and youth, which includes indoctrination, militarisation, the deliberate removal of Ukrainian studies from the education system, and the promotion of a culture of war and service in the Russian Armed Forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more details on the Russian system of identity destruction in the TOT, see the article by the CCE \"Almenda\" at the link<\/a>.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Those responsible for this criminal policy in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) include not only the occupation authorities of the state and local governments, but also educational institutions, youth and children\u2019s organisations, and other public associations. One of the main bodies responsible for enforcing this strategy of promoting militaristic ideology and encouraging service in the Russian Armed Forces has been the branches of the \u201cVoluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy of Russia\u201d (commonly known by its Russian abbreviation, DOSAAF \u2013 \u201cDobrovolnoye obshchestvo sodeystviya armii, aviatsii i flotu Rossii\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Activities of DOSAAF<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DOSAAF is a militarised organisation that, since the Soviet era, has been involved in preparing the population for military service. In modern-day Russia, DOSAAF has effectively become a part of the mechanism for militarising the population, particularly minors. DOSAAF\u2019s activities are funded by the budget and are directly controlled by the state<\/a>: the organisation is influenced by Russia\u2019s law enforcement and security agencies, and the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation ensures the quality of training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a detailed explanation of DOSAAF, read the article \"Preparing Youth for Service in the Russian Armed Forces: Militarisation of Children in Occupied Crimea through DOSAAF\" at the link<\/a>. <\/pre>\n\n\n
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\"\u043a\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0430<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
According to its charter<\/a>, the organisation\u2019s activities cover the entire territory of Russia and are implemented through a network of regional (interregional), local, and primary branches, offices, and representative units. After the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, Russia extended<\/a> DOSAAF\u2019s activities to these territories, using the organisation as a tool for militarisation and encouraging service in the Russian Armed Forces among Ukrainian children and youth. In terms of organisational structure, primary and local branches report<\/a> to higher-level units, which are overseen by central governing bodies: the chairman, supervisory board, central council, and the assembly. However, primary and local units play a significant role in spreading militaristic ideology in the TOT, operating under the leadership of individuals loyal to the occupation regime. One of the most active in propagandistic activities in the TOT is the \u201cLocal Branch of DOSAAF of Russia in the town of Yalta\u201d<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Militarisation Hub in Yalta: Those Responsible<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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The Yalta branch of DOSAAF was officially registered <\/a>as a non-commercial organisation for professional education, \u201cYalta Automobile School of the Crimean Regional Public Organisation \u2018Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy (DOSAAF)\u2019\u201d in the Russian Federation’s legal entities register on 4 March 2015. The organisation\u2019s primary goal<\/a> is \u201cphysical and ideological (moral and volitional) preparation of youth for the defence of the Motherland (note: Russia)\u201d. Since its registration, the director has been Vladimir Nikolayevich Babko<\/a><\/strong>, who was re-elected to the same position for a five-year term in May 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For reference:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n
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\"9OBOuzD8DSA\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Vladimir Babko is a citizen of Ukraine, born on 16 May 1969, a Ukrainian military serviceman who worked<\/a> at the Yalta Town Military Commissariat from 1991 to 2009. Since 26 July 2013, he was listed<\/a> as the leader of the public organisation \u201cYalta Town Organisation of the Society for the Promotion of Defence of Ukraine\u201d. After the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, he collaborated with the occupiers and began promoting Russian narratives among children and youth in the TOT. For his activities in the interests of the aggressor country, by the decree of the so-called head of the \u201cRepublic of Crimea\u201d, Sergey Aksyonov, on 19 February 2021, gratitude was announced <\/a>to Vladimir Babko \u201cfor his conscientious work, high professionalism, and in connection with Defender of the Fatherland Day\u201d. In 2021, he was also added<\/a> to the honour board in occupied town of Yalta. His shift to supporting the occupation authorities became a clear example of how defence-oriented institutions were transformed into tools for the ideological manipulation of children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are \u0421hildren Taught at the Yalta DOSAAF??<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Frame<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
The Yalta DOSAAF has developed the programme \u201cA Sacred Duty \u2013 Defending the Motherland\u201d <\/a>(referring to Russia), which includes regular training sessions aimed at teaching children military-like skills and promoting a positive attitude towards the Russian Armed Forces. These activities are often disguised as \u201cpatriotic education\u201d<\/a> and are organised<\/a> in playful or competitive forms to minimise criticism and conceal the true nature of the activities. Additionally, under the programme \u201cA Sacred Duty \u2013 Defending the Motherland\u201d, children regularly have meetings with Russian military personnel involved in the war against Ukraine, aimed at heroising them and promoting a culture of war:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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