On May 19, 2026, the Main Directorate of the National Police reported a notice of suspicion under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine against one of the leaders of the russian children’s and youth movement “Yunarmiya” in the Kherson region.

Who is the suspect

Polyakov Nikita Olegovich (born July 30, 2002) is a native of the city of Kherson. No later than February 25, 2025, he voluntarily accepted an offer from representatives of the occupying power and took up the position of acting chief of staff of the regional branch of the all-russian movement “Yunarmiya” in the temporarily occupied Kherson region.

This organization, established in 2016 at the initiative of then russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, is engaged in preparing young men for service in the russian armed forces and promoting the prestige of military service.

Children aged between eight and 18 can become members of the movement, where they are taught the basics of military training, including drill exercises, assembling and disassembling a Kalashnikov assault rifle, tactical medicine, and other skills.

As of 2023, the total number of participants in the movement in the russian Federation and the occupied territories was estimated at approximately 1.5 million people.

Since 2022, “Yunarmiya” has been under Ukrainian sanctions.

Circumstances of the crime

After taking the position of head of “Yunarmiya” in the temporarily occupied Kherson region, Polyakov organized propaganda activities among Ukrainian children aimed at preparing them for service in the russian army.

In the media, particularly on the russian-controlled TV channel “Tavria” and Telegram channels, Polyakov publicly endorsed the actions of the russian president, claiming that he “consistently adheres to his line,” and justified missile strikes against Ukraine, including those carried out using the “Oreshnik” missile system.

He participated in the filming of propaganda videos in which he referred to Ukrainian children as “defenders of our homeland — russia” and claimed that training in “Yunarmiya” would help them in the future during military service in the ranks of the occupation forces.

Polyakov’s actions were recognized as a direct violation of Article 51 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, which prohibits an occupying power from compelling protected persons to serve in its armed forces or conducting propaganda in favor of voluntary enlistment.

Suspicion

Polyakov was notified in absentia of suspicion under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war), Part 1 of Article 111-2 (aiding the aggressor state), and Part 3 of Article 436-2 (justification of the armed aggression of the russian Federation and occupation of territories).

Since he is located in temporarily occupied territory, a special pre-trial investigation (in absentia) may be conducted against him.

The criminal proceedings were entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under No. 42023230000000317 dated July 6, 2023.