Inside Russia’s ‘Youth Armies’

8 snips

Mar 7, 2026

Zhanna Bezpiatchuk, BBC Ukrainian reporter who exposed how Russia’s Yunarmiya recruits and trains children in occupied Ukraine. Juan Alonso, BBC Mundo journalist who dug into myths around Simón Bolívar’s wealth and will. They discuss forced recruitment, military drills, propaganda rituals for kids, and the origins of Bolívar’s poverty narrative. Short, sharp, and investigative.

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INSIGHT

Youth Army Trains Children To Become Soldiers

Russia's Yunarmiya aims to create ready soldiers by age 18 through patriotic education and military drills.
In occupied Ukrainian areas the program adds propaganda to reframe Ukraine as an enemy and promote loyalty to Russia and its army.

ANECDOTE

Flag Kissing Feels Like Betrayal

Children are required to perform symbolic acts like marching and kissing the Russian flag, which feels emotionally intimate and betrays their Ukrainian identity.
A 12-year-old told Zhanna he refused to kiss the flag because it felt like a personal betrayal of his country.

INSIGHT

Playful Drills Hide Real Military Skills

Training mixes playful 'patriotic games' with technical skills like drone operation and parachuting to normalize combat roles.
Professional Russian servicemen run sessions and conscription committees collect children's personal data.

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The "Yunarmiya" or 'Youth army' is a movement that was founded in January 2016 by the Russian government. In total, more than 1.8 million children in Russia have joined the movement. As of May 2025, more than 120,000 Youth Army graduates served in the Russian army and other security forces. The Youth Army is also actively recruting Ukrainian children in occupied regions of the country. This began in parts of Ukraine even before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, in places like Crimea and Donbas. The children are taught to sing the Russian national anthem; kiss the Russian flag; dig trenches and handle guns. Zhanna Bezpiatchuk of BBC Ukrainian has been looking into how these Youth Armies operate in occupied regions of Ukraine.

Simon Bolivar was a nineteenth century soldier and statesman who led six countries - Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Panama - to independence from the Spanish empire and earned himself the title of ‘El Libertador’, the liberator. He left a huge legacy in South America and is still considered by many as a revolutionary hero. Growing up in Venezuela, Juan Alosno of BBC Mundo was very familiar with Bolivar's mythology, because it was taught to him in school. Even as a child, there were a couple of details that just didn't stack up for him.... so he set out to investigate.

At the end of January this year, 6 people were caned in public for violating Sharia law in Aceh, Indonesia. Caning is a common punishment for breaking Islamic law in religiously conservative Aceh, although the practice has drawn criticism from rights groups who say it's cruel. Aceh has a unique identity within Indonesia, and is the only part of the country to practice Sharia. Astudestra Ajengrastri of BBC Indonesian explains Aceh's history and why it chooses to be different from the rest of Indonesia.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world.

Presented by Faranak Amidi.

Produced by Laura Thomas and Caroline Ferguson

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)