Russian student diplomats were sent on a so-called internship to occupied Luhansk

The Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) organized a trip for its students to the temporarily occupied city of Luhansk under the guise of a humanitarian mission. Officially, the visit is being presented as “patriotic education” and an opportunity to learn about the region’s history. 

This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

Analysts note that involving students from a leading diplomatic university in such events indicates its transformation into a tool for legitimizing the annexation of Ukrainian territories. The Kremlin uses trips to the occupied territories as an “ideological baptism” for a new generation of Russian civil servants, accustoming them to working under conditions of international isolation. This effectively undermines the institution’s status as an intellectual center, turning it into a propaganda hub.

Instead of studying international law, future attachés are being trained in the “law of force” and the direct violation of other states’ sovereignty. This practice aims to prepare personnel who will be ready to represent the interests of the aggressor state without any legal or moral reservations. The situation demonstrates a profound degradation of the system for training diplomatic personnel in Russia.

In the temporarily occupied city of Luhansk, Russian invaders announced their intention to seize approximately 150 commercial real estate properties for so-called “nationalization.” This was reported by the regional military administration.

Occupiers may seize up to 8,000 apartments in Luhansk — Regional Military Administration