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DocuDays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival June 11, 2025 The Reckoning Project, together with Docudays, will host a screening and discussion of the film "Children of the Occupation: Donetsk, Mariupol, Crimea" at the 2025 Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival. TRP researchers have collected testimonies from young people who grew up in temporarily occupied territories—sharing their experiences of life under Russian rule, re-education programs, militarisation, and forced displacement. These stories formed the basis of the documentary, which premiered on January 31, 2025, on Current Time TV. Over the past year, the Reckoning Project team has documented more than 200 testimonies from participants or witnesses of this process. Many were submitted to Ukrainian and international law enforcement bodies and were the basis for over a hundred journalistic pieces in dozens of countries worldwide. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia has deported at least 19,500 Ukrainian children, and more than 1.5 million continue to live under occupation, where they face regular ideological pressure. The discussion will explore: How does Russia instil “Russian identity” in Ukrainian children, and what are the long-term consequences of this process? What challenges will Ukraine face after the de-occupation of its territories? How can the documented testimonies help restore justice in the future? Speakers: Viktoriia Novikova , Senior Researcher, The Reckoning Project Yurii Shylov, Director of the film Peter Pomerantsev , Executive Editor, The Reckoning Project (online) Kareem Asfari , Legal Analyst, The Reckoning Project (online) Maksym Demydenko, Co-founder of War Archive Moderator: Maksimas Milta , Head of The Reckoning Project’s Office in Ukraine Organisers:   The Reckoning Project & NGO Docudays

Occupying forces are trying to rob Ukrainians of their language, culture and identity Image: The Economist This article delves into Russia's systematic efforts to erase Ukrainian identity in occupied territories. It recounts how, following the 2022 invasion, Russian forces targeted educational institutions, burning Ukrainian textbooks and replacing them with Russian materials. The piece highlights the psychological and cultural impact on local populations, questioning the legality of such actions under international law. It underscores the broader strategy of cultural assimilation employed by occupying forces to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty and identity. Read the full story in The Economist here .

Image: Signal to Resist Iryna Horobtsova, a Kherson IT specialist and volunteer, was abducted by Russian forces in May 2022 due to her public pro-Ukrainian position. For over 17 months, she was held in solitary confinement in a Simferopol prison without official charges or legal assistance. Her parents spent months trying to locate her. Eventually, Russia charged her with espionage. Despite these conditions, Iryna remained strong, reading over 80 books and refusing to sign false confessions. Her case illustrates the repression faced by civilians in occupied territories. Read the full article in Signal to Resist (Ukraine) here .

Getty Images Since the Russian invasion, Putin has targeted pastors, faith leaders, and worshipers from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and Protestant churches in Ukraine. More than 67 faith leaders have been killed, and over 700 houses of worship have been destroyed or expropriated. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine is viewed as a threat to Putin’s power because it represents an independent Ukrainian identity, and Protestants are accused by Russia of representing Western influence and being American spies. The article highlights the current persecution of these religious groups, as well as the history of religious repression by Moscow, dating back to the Soviet Union. Read the full article in The Spectator here .

24K-Production/ Depositphotos, Ukrainska Pravda The article follows the story of children from the Oleshky orphanage who were deported to Russian-occupied territories and later to Russia. It details the psychological trauma inflicted on children who were told they were abandoned, and the efforts of Ukrainian authorities and volunteers to bring them home. Legal, logistical, and emotional challenges complicate repatriation, especially as Russia actively obstructs the return and re-education of these children within a Ukrainian context. Read the full article in Ukrainska Pravda (Ukraine) here . (Read in Ukrainian here ).

Image: Signal to Resist Anya Yeltsova, a Ukrainian language teacher from Mariupol, refused to cooperate with Russian occupation authorities and continued to promote Ukrainian identity despite the risks. She was detained and psychologically pressured by Russian forces for her activism. Her account reveals how language and culture are targets of suppression and how educators have become frontline defenders of national identity under occupation. Her story is a testament to resilience in the face of repressive state control. Read the full article in Signal to Resist (Ukraine) here .

Photo: From personal archive. The bus on which Evgeny left the occupation. (Postimees) The story centres on a Ukrainian teenager who fled Russian-occupied territory to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He recalls the brutal killing of his 17-year-old friend by Russian forces and the constant fear of surveillance. His testimony underscores the threats young people face under occupation, where expressing pro-Ukrainian views or attempting to escape can cost them their lives. The article highlights the courage of youth determined to fight for their homeland. Read the full article in Postimees (Estonia) here .

A school assembly before the full-scale Russian invasion. Photo: Personal archive (NewsMaker) This account follows a Ukrainian school director abducted by Russian forces and held for 45 days in captivity. She was interrogated and mentally pressured for refusing to adopt Russian educational standards. The story reflects the broader assault on Ukraine’s educational infrastructure, where teachers and administrators who resist are subjected to persecution. Her experience exposes the systematic efforts to replace Ukrainian education with Russian propaganda. Read the full article in NewsMaker (Moldova) here .

A lesson in the occupied territory of Ukraine. Source: Telegram channel Starobelsk Professional College. (NewsMaker) Written as a diary, the text gives a first-hand look into the daily life of a teenager in the occupied part of Luhansk. It reflects on school under Russian control, where Ukrainian content is erased, and fear is a constant presence. Despite restrictions, the teen clings to hope and documents a longing for freedom and normalcy. The diary serves as both a personal survival mechanism and a quiet act of resistance. Read the full article in NewsMaker (Moldova) here .

Image: Delfi This report investigates the state of education in Russian-occupied Ukrainian villages. Ukrainian language and literature are being systematically erased from the curriculum. Teachers are pressured to adopt Russian standards, and some face threats or are replaced. The article includes testimonies from locals and educators who describe children being taught to identify with Russian history and values. It paints a grim picture of forced assimilation and cultural repression targeting the youngest generation. Read the full article in Delfi (Lithuania) here .

Evelyn with her classmates. Photo: NewsMaker A young woman from Donetsk recounts how years of living under Russian occupation reshaped her identity. Influenced by propaganda and isolation, she began to distance herself from her Ukrainian roots. After leaving for government-controlled territory, her perception shifted, leading to a complex emotional reckoning. The piece illustrates how occupation can distort national identity and how personal transformation can begin after re-exposure to truth and freedom. Read the full article in NewsMaker (Moldova) here .

Peter Pomerantsev and Alina Dykhman Photograph: Roman Pilipey/AFP/Getty Images. (The Guardian) This article highlights a secret book club in occupied Ukraine where residents risk arrest to read and discuss banned Ukrainian literature and history. Organised quietly among friends and neighbours, the club becomes a form of intellectual resistance against Russia’s aggressive efforts to rewrite historical narratives. The piece showcases how culture and literature are used to sustain national identity and solidarity in the face of authoritarian censorship. Read the full article in The Guardian here .