“Children are entitled to choose their own paths. Our son has made his decision, and we will support him on this journey, regardless of the consequences.”

These sentiments come from the mother of a Russian teenager currently imprisoned for his anti-war activism regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

Although his family was aware of his political beliefs, they never anticipated he would engage in public demonstrations.

“We always believed we had a mutual understanding: speaking out won’t bring change; it will only complicate your life,” the mother shared in an interview with The Moscow Times, reflecting on the risks they had previously discussed before her son took to the streets. For safety reasons, she requested to remain anonymous.

Her son faces five more years behind bars.

His case is indicative of an alarming trend in Russia, where school-aged children who express anti-war sentiments encounter pressure that can range from teachers notifying the authorities to being interrogated by police.

In some instances, young individuals are sentenced to imprisonment, removed from their families, and made to continue their education during detention.

Estimating the number of Russian teenagers who oppose or support the war is challenging. Expressing such views openly, even among friends or classmates, can be perilous. As reported by human rights organization OVD-Info, at least 544 minors were detained in connection with anti-war protests by 2023.

Despite this environment, some teenagers continue to voice their dissent against the invasion.

This week, a prosecutor in Kazan sentenced 15-year-old activist Sevastyan Sultanov to a year of restricted freedom, prohibiting him from attending public events. His offense involved creating two pieces of anti-war graffiti and showing his support for the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

In another incident, Varvara Galkina, then just 10 years old, was reported to the police by her school principal for posting an online poll about the war and changing her profile picture in a student chat to an image of Saint Javelin, a pro-Ukrainian meme.

Both Galkina and her mother were summoned for questioning at a police station, and the family was placed on a watchlist by the juvenile affairs commission.

Denis Bushuev, a rising star in the national ski jumping team, staged a solo protest against the invasion’s anniversary when he was only 17. Holding a sign that read “No to war. No to madness” on the principal street of his hometown, Nizhny Novgorod, he was arrested and fined the maximum amount of 50,000 rubles ($600) for “discrediting the Armed Forces.”

“I avoid discussing my opinions with others and steer clear of controversial topics,” said 16-year-old Darya in an interview with the youth media initiative Novosti 26.

“It frustrates me when people try to initiate those discussions,” she added.

Yet, avoiding these conversations proves difficult. Since September 2022, Russian schools have introduced weekly sessions titled Conversations About Important Things, aimed at fostering patriotism and aligning students with the government’s views on both domestic and foreign matters.

Though the war isn’t covered every week, significant events — such as the anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, which is officially termed a “reunification” — are incorporated into the curriculum. Additionally, soldiers and members of the Wagner mercenary group frequently visit schools to deliver talks.

Remaining silent is one of the primary recommendations provided to the 5,000 subscribers of Novosti 26, a media project for teenagers established by writer and journalist Linor Goralik.

“One of our initial articles was titled To Speak or To Stay Silent,” Goralik explained to The Moscow Times. “It is updated regularly and outlines situations where one should absolutely refrain from saying anything, especially related to politics, unless alone with someone you can fully trust.”

“There was a palpable sense of confusion — while ‘war is bad’ was clearly a no-go, everything else seemed ambiguous,” she said. “That’s why I initiated the project: to help them grasp the nuances in their terms.”

Beyond educating teenagers, the project addresses their letters, many of which detail experiences of bullying, anxiety, or shattered friendships.

“One girl recounted how her teacher bullied her for being ‘protest-minded.’ Others write about how politics is damaging their relationships,” Goralik reflected on the correspondence received by Novosti 26. “But we endlessly emphasize: do not engage in political discussions unless you are face-to-face with someone you trust completely.”

Among Russia’s youngest political prisoners is Arseny Turbin, who was just 15 when he was placed under house arrest in the summer of 2023.

Authorities alleged that Turbin had joined the Freedom of Russia Legion, a group of Russian volunteers fighting alongside the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which the Russian government categorizes as a terrorist organization. Investigators also claimed he had distributed videos and flyers criticizing Russian officials and President Vladimir Putin.

Turbin, recognized as a political prisoner by the Nobel Prize-winning human rights group Memorial, denied any ties to the military unit. Regardless, he was added to Russia’s list of “terrorists and extremists” and sentenced to five years in a juvenile penal facility.

Yegor Balazeykin was 17 when he received a six-year prison sentence in 2023 on terrorism charges. Authorities claimed he attempted to set fire to two military enlistment offices with Molotov cocktails as a protest against the war. The devices failed to ignite.

Balazeykin admitted to trying to burn down the recruitment office but insisted he had no terrorist intentions. His purpose, he explained, was to perform a symbolic act of protest to draw attention to the war and the casualties in Ukraine following the death of his uncle in combat.

Balazeykin, who suffers from chronic autoimmune hepatitis and liver fibrosis — conditions that have worsened while in custody — was also classified as a political prisoner.

From behind bars, he has refused to abandon his anti-war beliefs.

“The war has destroyed all aspirations for Russia and its people toward progressive growth and the safeguarding of individual and human values,” Balazeykin wrote in a letter from prison on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

“The conflict that was never officially labeled a war.”