Russian children taught to shoot near border with Norway – photo, video
Russian children are trained to shoot assault rifles and weave camouflage nets in the village of Pechenega, Murmansk Oblast, 7 kilometres from the Norwegian border.
Source: Norwegian media outlet NRK
Details: Barents Observer editor Thomas Nilsen posted several photos on his Twitter account on 11 February about work with children and youth in the Russian village of Pechenega, which borders the Norwegian municipality of Sør Varanger.
Hvis noen lurer på hva som foregår rett over grensen i Sør-Varanger sin 🇷🇺 "vennskapskommune" Petsjenga har jeg samlet en liten billedkavalkade om barne- og ungdomsarbeidet.#Skam #Kirkenes #Nikel #СлаваУкраїні! pic.twitter.com/Z92u1TuH6u
— Thomas Nilsen (@NilsenThomas) February 11, 2024
The photographs show Russian children undergoing weapon training with real Kalashnikov assault rifles and dummy weapons. There is also a photo of a girl weaving a camouflage net.
Faktisk has verified them. The images are screenshots from videos and photos posted on the Russian social network by the Russian military-patriotic youth organisation Yunarmiya.
Норвезьке медіа NRK показало, як російських дітей вчать стріляти з автоматів поблизу кордону Норвегії. Відео – Юнармії з російської соцмережі pic.twitter.com/Ci2gJ8wcOn
— Українська правда ✌️ (@ukrpravda_news) February 16, 2024
Thomas Nilsen commented: "I thought it would be good to share some pictures and show them to people because I don't think I'm the only one who is perplexed... It's a whole new everyday life that has come right to us. For the part of Norway that borders Russia, it's brutal."
He noted that Russia trains young people on the territory that can be seen through binoculars from Norway.
One of the videos is said to have been filmed in the town of Nikel, near Pechenega.
Thomas Nilsen, who has spent much time there, said that "the social landscape on the other side of the border has completely changed" since the last time Barents Observer visited.
He believes that many people in Norway do not realise the seriousness of the changes that Russian society is experiencing.
"We are not talking about children at a shooting range in Tivoli Gardens (an amusement park in Copenhagen – ed.) shooting air rifles. This is a training session for professional, adult soldiers who teach children how to march in formation," Nilsen said.
Magnus Meland, the mayor of the border municipality of Sør Varanger, believes that the friendship agreement between Sør Varanger and Pechenega should now be cancelled.
"It breaks my heart that children have to go through this. It is absolutely surreal to see such footage," he said.
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