Occupational authorities in the Luhansk Region plan to engage youth in unpaid agricultural labour

The Russian occupation authorities in the temporarily seized territories of Ukraine’s Luhansk region are reportedly drafting legislation to involve teenagers in unpaid agricultural work. This information comes from the “Yellow Ribbon” resistance movement.

Illustrative photo from open sources

According to activists from “Yellow Ribbon”, the occupiers are currently developing regulatory frameworks and “recommendations” from the local department of education. These documents would stipulate that it would be “beneficial for children to participate in harvesting as part of developing patriotism and acquiring practical skills”.

The work is primarily intended for agricultural enterprises owned by large Russian agro-industrial companies.

“Yellow Ribbon” highlighted that Russian forces have mined extensive areas in the occupied Luhansk region, including agricultural lands. “Therefore, in many areas, the safety of agricultural work is currently questionable, and who will be responsible for potential injuries and deaths of students during the holidays remains unclear. There are also no plans to pay for such labour,” the statement of the Yellow Ribbon reads. 

Previously, ZMINA reported that as of early April this year, an estimated 1.6 million children may remain in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.