Russia is indoctrinating children in school, explaining Ukraine war is 'liberation mission,' expert says

close

Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for March 5

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Russia is attempting to indoctrinate children in school by explaining that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a "liberation mission" being done to protect "the people of Donbas from genocide," according to one expert.

Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer and author of "Putin's Playbook: Russia's Secret Plan to Defeat America," told Fox News Digital that Russia's Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide program called "Open Lesson" regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"The Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide program called Open Lesson, where they explain to the children through videos. Teachers are explaining the objective of the special operation in Ukraine, and they call it a liberation mission," Koffler said. 

One of the narratives being pushed on Russian schoolchildren is that the country isn't at war with Ukraine, instead calling it a "mission of the liberation of Ukraine," according to Koffler, translating from media outlet Meduza.

UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN CEASEFIRE WITH RUSSIA NOT HOLDING: LIVE UPDATES

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to female flight attendants in comments broadcast on state television on Saturday, March 5, 2022. (Image: Reuters Video) (Reuters Video)

"This is a special peacekeeping mission. This is not a war. The goal is to contain nationalists who oppress Russian speaking, speaking population. And we are protecting the people of Donbas from genocide. This is all the Russians say," Koffler said.

Koffler said that the program is being carried out by videos being shown to schoolchildren and said that the lesson is titled "The defenders of peace."

A Facebook post by Russia's education ministry said that schoolchildren will be "told why the liberation mission in Ukraine is a necessity."

SHELL MAKES 'DIFFICULT' DECISION TO PURCHASE RUSSIAN CRUDE OIL, VOWS TO BUY ELSEWHERE 'WHENEVER POSSIBLE'

Ukrainian grannies and grandpas giving on-the-street lectures to young Russian soldiers, kids hurling their prized bikes under military truck treads to turn them away,  (Sviatoslav Yurash)

The Russian schoolchildren will also learn "about the danger NATO represents to our country," in addition to "why Russia stood up for the protection of the civilians of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics."

Koffler, originally from the Soviet Union, said that one goal of the education system was to indoctrinate children into "Soviet types."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A person carries a banner during an anti-war protest, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Moscow, Russia February 24, 2022. The banner reads "No war. Freedom for political prisoners". (Reuters/Evgenia Novozhenina)

"Basically throughout my childhood, beginning in kindergarten, school, elementary, all the way up to college. The indoctrination is just always present," 

She said that her parents provided "counter-indoctrination," before moving to America.