Russian Occupation Update, April 3, 2025

ISW - 03/04
The Russian “Helping Ours” Foundation facilitated the deportation of 39 Ukrainian children from occupied Luhansk Oblast to a Russian government-controlled medical facility in Moscow Oblast in late March 2025.

Russian Occupation Update, April 3, 2025

Author: Karolina Hird

Data cut-off: 11:45 am EST April 2

ISW is introducing a new product line tracking activities in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. The Russian Occupation Updates will examine Russian efforts to consolidate administrative control of annexed areas; forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into Russian sociocultural, economic, military, and governance systems. This product line is intended to replace the section of the Daily Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment covering activities in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

Read ISW's assessment on how Russian activities in occupied areas of Ukraine are part of a coerced Russification and ethnic cleansing campaign, click here.

Key takeaways:

  • The Russian “Helping Ours” Foundation facilitated the deportation of 39 Ukrainian children from occupied Luhansk Oblast to a Russian government-controlled medical facility in Moscow Oblast in late March 2025.
  • Russian military intelligence veterans opened a new military-patriotic education club for Ukrainian youth in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian children will train in accordance with Soviet and Russian special forces and counterintelligence doctrine.
  • Russia is using the court system in occupied Ukraine to pursue illegal charges and fabricated cases against Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians.
  • Russian occupation authorities continue to conduct coerced ...
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