Ukrainian Teen Shares Harrowing Experience Under Russian Occupation

A Ukrainian teenager has recounted his year-long experience living under Russian control during the ongoing war, describing alleged forced displacement, propaganda exposure, and military-style indoctrination of children in occupied territories. Rostislav Lavrov, now 20, was 16 years old when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the time, he was living with his mother and grandmother in Radensk village in Ukraine’s Kherson region, an area that came under Russian control within hours of the start of the invasion.

According to Lavrov, Russian troops entered his village on the same day the war began, effectively trapping residents. He told The i Paper that he remained behind as conditions deteriorated, surviving for months by working in local gardens in exchange for food while his family situation worsened. His grandmother later died due to health complications, while his mother was reportedly taken to a mental health facility, leaving him largely on his own.

Lavrov said his situation changed when armed personnel arrived at his home along with a local official he described as a collaborator. He claims he was offered enrollment in an institution following the Russian education system, and when he refused, he was threatened with placement in an orphanage. Soon after, he was moved to a dormitory in Russian-occupied Kherson.

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He further alleges that he and other Ukrainian children were later taken to Crimea under the pretext of a short stay, but were instead placed in facilities where strict routines were enforced. Lavrov described being required to speak Russian, attend ideological sessions, and participate in daily patriotic activities, including singing the Russian national anthem. He also said he faced punishment, including solitary confinement, for refusing to comply with instructions.

Lavrov eventually spent close to a year between different facilities, including a military-style institution in Crimea, before being brought back to Ukraine in what he described as a covert rescue operation conducted by the charity Save Ukraine, which works to repatriate children from occupied areas. The organisation says more than 1,000 children it has assisted have reported similar accounts of indoctrination and forced militarisation.

After returning, Lavrov said he had no personal documents or belongings and required psychological support to rebuild his life. He is now working part-time in construction while pursuing an interest in photography, and says he is sharing his experience to raise awareness of the treatment of Ukrainian children in occupied territories during the conflict.

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