Schoolchildren in occupied Mariupol were instructed to write letters of gratitude to Russian troops for Russia’s upcoming ‘Defender of the Fatherland Day,’ a military holiday on Feb. 23, according to Ukraine’s Mariupol City Council.
In photos attached to a Telegram update from the council, schoolchildren in classrooms – some smiling – were seen holding various forms of hand-drawn, colored letters praising the Russian military.
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Some classrooms were filled with Russian war-related decorations, such as stickers commemorating the Soviet’s WWII victory and the ribbon of Saint George, the latter a prevalent symbol among the Russian military.
In the background, photos reminiscent of propaganda photos depicting Russian troops in uniforms – some with the date of Feb. 23 displayed – were shown on television.
In two of the photos, a slide that says “You are little patriots of our Motherland!” in Russian could be seen displayed on the television.
ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 7, 2025
Ukraine’s Mariupol City Council condemned the initiative and called the move “part of a propaganda campaign aimed at ideologically indoctrinating children.” It did not specify where it obtained the photos.
Some photos bear a timestamp watermark from Wednesday, Feb. 5. The council said the letters were prepared in anticipation of the upcoming Russian military holiday.
“The next batch of ‘letters’ was written before Feb. 23, when the occupiers celebrate ‘Defender of the Fatherland Day.’ The occupiers are silent about the fact that these ‘defenders’ destroyed the city and killed friends and relatives of Mariupol schoolchildren,” the update says.
Russia captured Mariupol in May 2022 after months of intense fighting that reduced much of the city into rubble. Two months prior, it struck a theater in Mariupol with “children” marked on the ground outside the building. Hundreds were estimated to be in the building during the strike.
In late January 2025, residents of occupied Mariupol, who lost their homes due to the war and have been waiting for promised new housing from the occupying authorities for the third year, appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for help.
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