KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — At a summer camp created by one of Ukraine's radical nationalist groups, campers as young as 8 years old practice using assault rifles. They are taught to shoot to kill Russians and their sympathizers.
The camp, hidden in a forest in western Ukraine, was visited by The Associated Press.
The camp has two purposes: to train children to defend their country and to spread nationalist ideology.
The nationalists have been accused of violence and racism, but they have played a central, volunteer role in Ukraine's conflict with Russia — and they have maintained links with the government. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Youth and Sports earmarked 4 million hryvnias (about $150,000) to fund some of the youth camps among the dozens built by the nationalists.
