Putin Tightens Controls Amid Russification Campaign

Vladimir Putin has imposed new restrictions on the freedoms of Ukrainian children in occupied parts of the country.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in its latest social media update that Russia has introduced a new law which prohibits Ukrainian children under 14 from travelling abroad unless they have a Russian passport.

Only travel to allied Russian countries – Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russian-occupied parts of Georgia – is permitted without documents proving they are Russian.

It’s the latest attempt from the Kremlin to erase Ukrainian culture and identity, an imperialist policy known as “Russification”.

The MoD said: “The Russian law is highly likely intended to increase difficulties for Ukrainians with children seeking to leave those areas of Ukraine currently under Russian control.

“It also amounts to a further addition to the Russian senior leadership’s long-standing Russification policy in occupied Ukrainian territory, which seeks to extirpate Ukrainian culture, identity and statehood.”

Putin already forced all schools in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine to teach solely in Russian with a blanket ban on Ukrainian language.

There’s also a new Kremlin-friendly curriculum which glorifies the Russian invasion of Ukraine and depicts Ukrainians as Nazis – and any parents who resist risk losing custody of their children.

Putin also mandated that any Ukrainian nationals living in Russia or in sovereign Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia had to “settle their legal status” by September 2025 or leave.

“This was almost certainly intended to compel Ukrainian nationals living in areas under Russian control to accept Russian passports and citizenship,” the MoD said.

Ukrainians risk losing access to essential services including access to their banks, pensions or healthcare if they disobey.

Male Ukrainians aged between 18-30 with Russian passports are liable for conscription into the Russian military, too.

Putin currently controls a fifth of Ukraine’s sovereign land but is trying to force Ukraine to hand over more in the US-brokered peace talks.

The update comes as Washington, Kyiv and Moscow continue their trilateral discussions in the UAE over potential peace proposals.