Russian propagandists involve Mariupol children in their stage shows

Russian propagandists involved children's dance bands from occupied Mariupol to perform on stage with pro-Putin Russian artists.

For instance, the local children's band "Inspiration" of the Creative Center for Children and Youth performed in Moscow on the same stage as some Russian propagandists, as reported on Telegram by Mariupol collaborator Andriy Kior, convicted for collaborationism by a Ukrainian court.

Children from the occupied city were taken to Russia, where they performed together with other children's bands. The children were also featured in the recorded teleconcert in the concert hall "Moscow" on May 23, together with pro-Kremlin performers such as Nikolai Baskov, Larisa Dolina, Valeria, Oleg and Rodion Gazmanov, Alsu, Oleksandr Buynov, Alexander Panayotov, Diana Gurtskaya, Varvara, etc.

The televised version of the concert will be broadcast on Rossiya-1 tomorrow, June 1. The propagandists dedicated this part of the broadcast for Children's Protection Day, which will be celebrated tomorrow.

Photo from Andriy Kor's YouTube channel

During the hostilities in Mariupol and the complete blockade of the city, the invaders took Ukrainian children to Russia; the exact number of kidnapped children is still unknown.

According to the National Resistance Center, the Russia-installed administrations in Ukraine's occupied territories were instructed by the Kremlin to involve more local children in propaganda programming.

The Russians are planning to create a "media center" for teenagers in the temporarily occupied Mariupol. The Russian project "Newbies in Media", based in the occupied territories, received a million ruble grant from the Russian Presidential Grants Fund. The project is set to be finished before mid-summer of this year. The plan is to involve teenagers aged 14 to 17 who are "interested in the media field" in propaganda production; the "training" will be free of charge.