On February 17, the Main Directorate of the National Police in Zaporizhzhia region served three people involved in organizing propaganda and militarization of Ukrainian children in the temporarily occupied territories with a notice of suspicion under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
What is known about the suspects
Ruslan Nikolaevich Sleptsov (26.11.1970) is a police colonel from Moscow, headed one of the occupation law enforcement agencies - the so-called Department of the Federal Service of the National Guard of the russian federation (Rosgvardia) in Zaporizhzhia region.
Shapurova Olena Oleksandrivna (born on 16.11.1976) held the position of the so-called "Minister of Education and Science of Zaporizhzhia region" from October 2022 to January 2024. Before the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine, she worked as a director of a college in Melitopol. On August 18, 2023, she was sentenced in absentia by the Kommunarsky District Court of Zaporizhzhia under Part 5 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine to 10 years in prison with confiscation.
Dubinska Tatiana Ivanivna (born on 01.06.1979) held the position of the so-called "Acting Minister of Education and Science of Zaporizhzhia region" from January 2024 to January 2025. Prior to the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine, she worked as a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature at school No. 6. On August 22, 2024, she was sentenced in absentia by the Zhovtnevyi District Court of Zaporizhzhia under Part 3 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine to three years in prison and a ban on engaging in any activity related to the educational process for a period of 10 years.
Circumstances of the crime
The suspects, acting together between March 2023 and June 2025, organized a system of propaganda and militarization of Ukrainian children in the temporarily occupied territories. Their activities covered several areas.
In secondary education institutions - in particular, in Kostiantynivka School No. 1 (Prometheus School), Melitopol School No. 15, and Berdiansk School No. 10 (Harmonia Gymnasium) - cadet classes of the russian Guard were created.
At the same time, programs of so-called "patriotic education" were implemented with the use of symbols and rhetoric of the russian federation, military-patriotic games and classes aimed at preparing students for service in the occupier's army and distorting their national identity.
The purpose of these activities was to ensure further "voluntary" enlistment of minors in the military service of the aggressor state.
Suspicion
Such actions are a direct violation of Article 51 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (IV), which prohibits the Occupying Power from propaganda aimed at securing the voluntary enlistment of civilians in its armed forces.
All three suspects are charged with violation of the laws and customs of war committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Article 28(2), Article 438(1) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).