Russian Occupation Update, January 15, 2026
Institute for the Study of War • • world
Key Points:
- Russian authorities forcibly transferred 47 children, including some with disabilities, from occupied Kherson Oblast to the Yolochka orphanage in Crimea, with 42 children reportedly adopted by families in Crimea as of January 2026; many of these children were not orphans but placed in care by their parents due to disabilities.
- The Russian Orthodox Church and Rosgvardia are involved in the temporary deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children from occupied territories, organizing trips to Russia aimed at promoting Russian cultural and military-patriotic ideals among youth.
- Russia’s "Cultural Map 4+85" program has facilitated the movement of over 9,000 children from occupied Ukrainian oblasts to Russia since 2023, focusing on
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