Russian Occupation Update, March 26, 2026
Institute for the Study of War • • world
Key Points:
- Russian authorities deported Ukrainian children from frontline areas of occupied Zaporizhia Oblast to the Republic of Karelia for a propaganda trip aimed at promoting Russian culture and history.
- The Russian Ministry of Defense-run Nakhimov Naval School in Mariupol is training youth in occupied Ukraine to develop and operate combat drones, reflecting Russia’s broader militarization efforts in these areas.
- A Russian military court sentenced three Ukrainian teenagers to lengthy prison terms on likely fabricated terrorism charges, with reports of torture and harsh detention conditions.
- Russian state-owned VTB Bank is expanding mobile banking services in occupied Ukraine, increasing financial control and dependence on Russian institutions in the region.
- Russia plans to build a major road connecting occupied Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts to promote investment and physically integrate these territories into Russia.
