This thesis was spread on social networks, in particular on anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports cite a video excerpt of a service woman allegedly saying “indirectly” that all women in Ukraine will soon be mobilized.

The VoxCheck analysts investigated this case and explained that the video did not contain any “hints” or information that women would soon be mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After all, propagandists interpreted the video of the fighting in their own way and put forward such a thesis. However, it is baseless and unfounded - no legislative initiatives that would regulate mobilization “everywhere” simply exist in Ukraine.

Using a reverse search, experts found the video that the anonymous telegram people referred to in their messages: it was published on the telegram channel of the airborne assault troops. It talked about Iryna Tokarchuk, a doctor at the medical center of the airborne assault troops. She voluntarily joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; in the video she did not call for joining the army, but only explained her position on why she went to serve: “The war is not in the East or the South, it is in our country. If I close my eyes, nothing will change, the war will not disappear. So I choose to walk with my eyes open”.

However, there is no basis for interpreting the words of the doctor as indicating the impending mobilization of women. She only expressed her motivation for voluntarily joining the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In general, doctors and pharmacists must indeed register with the military from October 1, 2023, but registration with the military does not mean mobilization or the establishment of restrictions on traveling abroad. The Ministry of Health notes: registration is necessary only to summarize data on the existing reserve of doctors in the country. The travel of this category of women is unlimited. To register for military service, this category of women will have three years - until December 31, 2026.

Among other things, we recommend reading another of our documented cases, in which propagandists claimed that Ukrainian doctors and pharmaceutical workers were supposedly “escaping” from Ukraine en masse through the so-called mobilization.

Anonymous telegram channels are distributing a video that allegedly shows a draft notice  that came through the Diia government services portal. The authors add that the Ukrainian leadership “never keeps its promises”, because they previously assured that draft notices  would not be sent through the application. The messages claimed that the actions and words of Ukrainian officials could hardly be “trusted”. It's a lie.

Analysts from the VoxCheck project undertook to analyze the case, explaining that draft notices are not received in Ukraine because of Diia. At the same time, the image of the agenda itself shows signs of editing. For example, the draft notice indicates the first and patronymic, but does not indicate the last name. It is also written that the recipient needs to appear “at the military commissariat”. But, according to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated February 23, 2022, the commissariats were reformatted into territorial recruitment and social support centers.

At the same time, the image indicates: the data in the agenda was allegedly updated in October 2023. So, the photograph of the “draft notice” has been compiled. Analysts emphasize that during the video the hero did not touch the screen with his fingers - so, most likely, the Kremlin’s minions used a formatted photo and passed it off as the Diia interface.

By the way, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov stated that agendas will not be sent through Diia. The service does not contain any military registration services or notifications.

Pro-Kremlin media are distributing photos of propaganda leaflets that are allegedly being distributed to elderly people in Ukraine. “You have already lived your life - go to the front”, “Age is only in your head - join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, they say in such “propaganda”. The authors of the messages add that employees of territorial recruitment and social support centers allegedly force people to leave their data in order to later be forcibly mobilized. And they add that a case of forced mobilization of an elderly person has allegedly already been recorded in Kyiv. It's a lie.

The fact-checkers at the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council recorded this case and explained that such propaganda was fake and could not have been distributed by representatives of the territorial recruitment and social support centers or other military command bodies. During general mobilization, all citizens of Ukraine liable for military service aged 18 to 60 years can be called up for military service, unless they have legal grounds for obtaining a deferment or exclusion from military registration.

And according to the classification of the World Health Organization, the age of 60-75 years is considered elderly, senile - 75-90 years. Those who have reached 90 years of age and older are called centenarians.

Indeed, such official campaigns do not exist; no one is going to mobilize older people. But this does not mean that anyone, including the Kremlin’s minions, cannot create such leaflets using graphic editors, and subsequently the news about their “distribution”. Experts from the Center for Countering Disinformation have not determined the authenticity of the photo itself.

By the way, in our recent study on how Russian propaganda talks about older people, we analyzed the Kremlin’s messages regarding the so-called mobilization of older people.

This information is disseminated by pro-Kremlin resources. Referring to an article from the TSN website, propagandists claim that the purpose of these actions is quite obvious: when teenagers turn 18 and finish school, they will allegedly immediately be mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine and sent for a month’s training. After that, adults will be trained for “meat assaults” on forest plantations and positions of Russian troops. However, this is manipulation.

Specialists from the Center for Countering Disinformation drew attention to this case. They found out that propagandists resort to manipulation of information, since the TSN article is not about mobilization, but about military registration of Ukrainian citizens who have reached the age of 17. In addition, even the military registration procedure that was in force since 2016, but no longer in force, also provided for the submission of lists of conscripts who had reached 17 years of age. They were submitted to the district or city military commissariat by the relevant institution or organization.

In this case, propagandists manipulate information to sow fear, doubt and uncertainty among Ukrainian society. Thus, they also nourish the narrative that “grabbing” continues in Ukraine. Earlier, Detector Media released a large-scale study on how Russian propaganda is speculating on the topic of Ukrainian children.

Pro-Russian resources are disseminating information that special forces from the Kraken unit of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense will allegedly be sent to Transcarpathia to strengthen the mobilization of the men there. In addition, a separate task for the fighters will be to catch and torture Hungarians, and then mobilize them too. As evidence, propagandists attach “screenshots of correspondence” between two Kraken fighters. This is nothing more than a fake.

The specialists from the Center for Countering Disinformation decided to study this case. They contacted the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine with a request to confirm or refute the “news”. They didn't have to wait long for an answer - the Main Intelligence Directorate says that the information disseminated by Russian propagandists is untrue. Today, fighters of the special forces “Kraken” are in the combat zone. There they carry out the tasks set by the highest military-political leadership of the country, facilitating the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories from Russian troops.

By spreading such disinformation, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the mobilization process in Ukraine and the Kraken special forces, as well as promote the message that Ukraine is allegedly seeking to destroy ethnic Hungarians and is recruiting them en masse into the army. Previously, we refuted information that NATO could allegedly attract the Azov and Kraken battalions to suppress protests in France.

Russian propagandists claim that in Ukraine they have begun distributing advertisements for homosexuals calling for them to join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The first half of the 10-second video shows heterosexual and homosexual couples kissing, while the second half features footage of military personnel. The footage is accompanied by a male voice saying: “It doesn’t matter at all whether you love women or men. It is important that you love Ukraine. Join the Armed Forces of Ukraine”. However, this is fake.

This case was analyzed by the fact-checkers for the StopFake project. They found out that the video is fake for a number of reasons. Firstly, the kissing footage was taken from a report published on the iD YouTube channel back in 2020. The second part of the video already uses footage from the social advertising of the Ukrainian Ground Forces “The Ballad of the Infantry”, published back in 2016. Secondly, the use of the word “love” in relation to Ukraine in the video indicates that its authors probably have poor command of the Ukrainian language. The word “love” describes specifically romantic love, while Ukraine or, for example, animals or colors can be “loved”.

With this fake video, Russian propaganda nourishes the narrative that supposedly Ukrainian troops will suffer huge losses on the battlefield and, as a result, they are running out of people. Therefore, “even” homosexuals are now being mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, attempts to discredit the Ukrainian army are in vain, since the Armed Forces contain representatives of different gender and sexual identities who defend Ukraine along with other military personnel. Previously, we analyzed disinformation that supposedly Ukrainians are dying for the right to be homosexual.

Propaganda telegram channels are disseminating information that Russian soldiers captured the pregnant Ukrainian military. Moreover, pro-Kremlin resources publish a video as evidence in which the Russian military demonstratively shows that this allegedly happened. It's fake.

Experts from the Center for Countering Disinformation began to analyze this case. They found that the video distributed by propagandists contained a number of disinformation features. For example, the woman is wearing ordinary sneakers, which are not standard shoes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Also, the “prisoner” has a blue ribbon on her leg, while the Ukrainian military does not put identification marks on her legs. In addition, on the military shoulder one can see the chevron of the 65th Missile and Artillery Arsenal, which probably fell to the Russians during the occupation of part of the Kharkiv region.

By spreading information about a pregnant woman in the Ukrainian army, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the mobilization process. They say that people don’t want to fight, so the authorities have to indulge in extremes and send even pregnant women to fight. With this case of disinformation, propagandists are also nourishing the narrative of “grabbing” in Ukraine or “war until the last Ukrainian”. Previously, we refuted information that Ukraine had created body armor for pregnant women because they were going to be sent to the front.

The network began to spread information that the captain of the Ukrainian ship Izmail  Anatolii Bohatyriov refused to comply with the order of the high command to immediately take a ship to Ukraine from Burgas (Bulgaria). The reason for the “insubordination of the Ukrainian captain” is his desire to avoid mobilization. Anatolii Bohatyriov seemed to have told his superiors that he was ready to go anywhere except Ukraine. It's fake.

The case was investigated by the fact-checkers of the StopFake project. They found out that the Ukrainian ship Izmail had a navigation ban from the Maritime Administration of Bulgarian Burgas and therefore could not head for Ukraine. The Burgas Maritime Administration explained this for two reasons: the expiration of the ship’s documents and the incomplete crew. After Ukraine provided all the necessary documents, the ship had to receive permission to sail. Other crew members were to be hired by the charterer.

Subsequently, the General Director of the Private Joint Stock Company “Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company” (UDP) Dmytro Moskalenko wrote on his Facebook page that Ukraine had nevertheless returned the cargo ship Izmail under its control. In addition, the Ukrainian side plans to demand compensation from the lessee for returning the ship in an improper condition after downtime. The UDP also responded to one of its subscribers on its Facebook page that captain Anatolii Bohatyriov is already in Izmail (Odesa region).

This case of disinformation nourishes one of the Russian narratives about “mobilization” in Ukraine, according to which the Ukrainian authorities do not value human lives and will soon send everyone to fight. Previously, we refuted the information that in Ukraine there is a “war until the last Ukrainian”, even the unborn.

This thesis was spread on social networks in the Russian segment. Reports say that female doctors are leaving Ukraine en masse for the temporarily occupied territories. In support of this thesis, a video is cited: a recording of a telephone conversation with a so-called doctor, a woman, from the Lviv region, who allegedly wants to go to temporarily occupied Mariupol and is looking for an apartment to live in. The authors argued that the woman allegedly received a draft notice and therefore she wanted to leave.

Analysts from the VoxCheck project dealt with this case. They explained that female doctors and pharmacists should indeed register with the military from October 1, 2023, but registration with the military does not mean mobilization or the establishment of restrictions on traveling abroad. The Ministry of Health notes: registration is necessary only to summarize data on the existing reserve of doctors in the country. The travel of this category of women is unlimited.

Therefore, most likely, the video is staged. After all, women are not mobilized in Ukraine  although the heroine of the video, during a telephone conversation, used the argument about mobilization as one of the main reasons for her irresistible desire to “escape” from Ukraine. In addition, this video is distributed only in the Russian segment of social networks. Experts cited other points from the telephone conversation:

For example, a woman said that she was only interested in an apartment in a new building and thus hinted that Russia was rebuilding Mariupol - a city that the occupiers really destroyed to the ground. Read in our Newspeak section how Moscow actually “rebuilds”  captured and destroyed cities and villages, calling them “a piece of paradise”.

Of course, it is almost impossible to verify the authenticity of the recording of a telephone conversation, since we can only refute the facts listed during the conversation. And this information includes false facts that, most likely, the Kremlin can use for its own purposes. For example, spread panic among Ukrainian women.

Propaganda resources began to disseminate information that there are no longer public health services in Kherson. The so-called “evidence” is the alleged advertisements posted at hospitals named after A.S. Luchanskyi and after Ye.Ye. Karabelesh. They report that hospitals will not work, since all employees of medical institutions have gone to register for military service. It's fake.

The fact-checkers of the VoxUkraine project analyzed this case and found out that the information was untrue and the ad was faked. In addition, among the medical staff there are also female doctors, whose military registration is voluntary until 2026. The mentioned hospitals and other medical institutions in Kherson continue to operate. The shortage of doctors that arose in the Kherson region with the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion is compensated by sending doctors from other regions of Ukraine.

Russia is escalating the situation when it spreads information about the closure of Kherson hospitals, resorting to one of the propaganda tactics aimed at sowing fear, uncertainty and doubts among Ukrainians about present and future life in Ukraine. Previously, we documented the message of Russian propaganda, according to which Ukrainian doctors and pharmacists were allegedly “escaping” from Ukraine en masse because they were afraid of mobilization.

Pro-Russian resources claim that in the Sumy region they plan to form the first brigade in Ukraine, which will consist of minors. Like, in Shostka, the local military registration and enlistment office, apparently, instead of sending boys 14-16 years old to paramilitary courses, began to form them into the 153rd territorial defense brigade. It's fake.

The case was analyzed by the fact-checkers of the StopFake project. They contacted the 117th separate territorial defense brigade formed in the Sumy region, and they, for their part, confirmed that the information about the mobilization of children was fake. Moreover, there are no 153 brigades in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but there is a 153 separate territorial defense battalion. On the social networks of this battalion one can find photographs of its soldiers and make sure that there are no teenagers in it. In Ukraine, all citizens aged 18 to 60 who are capable of performing their military duty are subject to mobilization, except for exceptions provided by law. There is no talk of any mobilization of minors in Ukraine.

Pro-Kremlin propagandists are trying to promote the narrative that supposedly in Ukraine there are not enough people at the front, and therefore the Ukrainian government is resorting to radical methods - recruiting children into the ranks of the army. Previously, we refuted the fake that allegedly the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustam Umierov called for the mobilization of teenagers.

In the Russian segment of social networks, information is being spread that in Ukraine they have started issuing vouchers for sapper training to people with disabilities, supposedly “sending them to fight”. It's a lie.

The VoxCheck analysts took up this case and informed that in October 2023, the Ukrainian State Employment Service increased the list of professions and specialties for which one  can receive a voucher, that is, payment for training. The list, in particular, includes the profession of sapper. And, in fact, training vouchers will be issued to specific people, for example, persons with disabilities. Other categories of citizens can receive a training voucher: internally displaced persons (IDPs), participants in combat operations (UCD), people injured as a result of war, etc.

Moreover, we are talking specifically about humanitarian demining, which takes place outside the combat zone. This is a long-term process aimed at creating a safe living environment for civilian residents. Military demining, on the contrary, is carried out directly in the combat zone. For example, when the enemy retreats, military sappers are already doing this.

Read also our documented case: in Ukraine, they want to abolish the status of a person with a disability in order to mobilize more people

Propagandists who spread pro-Russian rhetoric in the media claim that the “Kyiv regime” is allegedly preparing Ukrainians for the rapid mobilization of teenagers from the age of 14 due to the lack of reserves destroyed on all front lines. This is allegedly indicated by the fact that the instructors of the 103rd Territorial defense force brigade  arrived on the territory of one of the Ukrainian educational centers, where they taught teenagers military training for three weeks, after which the most capable students were allegedly enrolled in the brigade reserve. However, this is a fake.

The analysts of the Center of Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine drew attention to it. They explained that this information is fiction, because according to the current legislation of Ukraine, persons who have reached the age of 18 are subject to mobilization. At the same time, there are military training courses for young people in Ukraine. They are not mandatory and are not prohibited by law.

Such information was disseminated on social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports say that an illegal “mobilization of scientific staff” is allegedly being carried out in Ukraine - and add to the publications a video from an eyewitness who says that her comrade was allegedly forcibly taken to the local territorial recruitment and social support center. And that person is a historian and supposedly teaches in a higher education institution. The authors sum up: no one can fight in Ukraine, it doesn’t need smart people, so everyone is being raked into the “Zelenskyi meat grinder”. It is not true.

Research workers, scientific-pedagogical and pedagogical workers are not subject to conscription for military service during mobilization. According to the amendments to Article 23 of the Law “On Scientific and Scientific-Technical Work” dated July 29, 2022, they are not subject to conscription, provided that this category of people works in scientific institutions and organizations, institutions of higher education, professional higher education, professional (vocational and technical) or general secondary education (at the main place of work with at least 0.75 rates of their salary).

Moreover, the heroine in the video did not provide any evidence, photo or video evidence confirming the arbitrary behavior of employees of the local territorial recruitment and social support center towards the man. Yet, cases where employees of territorial centers exceed their authority are still recorded. We are talking, in particular, about the use of physical force against those liable for military service. But the woman simply spread information and in no way confirmed either the thesis about the use of violence against the scientist, or the fact that, in general, a higher education worker was hypothetically mobilized.

On social networks, in particular, on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric, videos are being distributed with information about the so-called mobilization of Ukrainians to Israel. In the video, the hero shows a “draft notice” issued allegedly by the local territorial center of recruitment and social support. The draft notice notes that, in accordance with Article II of the Law of Ukraine “On Refugees and People in Need of Additional or Temporary Protection”, the man was allegedly drafted into the “volunteer battalion” of Israel. It is not true.

The StopFake analysts investigated the case and analyzed that, in fact, the draft notice depicted in the video is fake. After all, the design of the document does not correspond to the current model. Both the draft notice and the procedure for maintaining military records of conscripts and those liable for military service are regulated by a specific legislative initiative. In particular, we are talking about the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated December 7, 2016 “On approval of the Procedure for organizing and maintaining military records of conscripts and those liable for military service”. And documents of this type have the same design; they cannot differ from each other.

Actually, the official form of the draft notice can be seen in Appendix No. 24 to this Resolution. The draft notice form was last changed on January 26, 2022, when the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine introduced appropriate changes to some resolutions on the performance of military duty.

As for the law that propagandists refer to, it has nothing to do with military service. Article 2  generally deals with the legislative framework regarding refugees and persons in need of additional or temporary protection.

The fact-checkers also recorded numerous errors in the “draft notice”. For example, in the column where one needed to write the name of the territorial center of recruitment and social support, the authors of the fake message indicated the Security Service of Ukraine in the Odesa region. The SBU’s competence apparently does not include any mobilization actions.

In the Russian segment of social networks, on YouTube and in pro-Kremlin media, a trailer for the horror film “Voienkom” (The Military Commissariat), which was allegedly produced by the Ukrainian company Kvartal 95 Studio, is being distributed. It's a lie.

The case was examined by the fact-checkers from the Center for Countering Disinformation. They established that the video was created by the Russians. Experts also managed to identify the person in the video - it turned out to be Russian actor Roman Makarov living in Moscow.

By spreading fake news about mobilization, Russian propaganda is trying to intimidate men of military age. The Russians are deliberately demonizing the mobilization process and exaggerating its pace in order to cause panic among Ukrainians. Previously, we talked about the manipulation that in Ukraine they are planning to mobilize men who are over 60 years old.

Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are disseminating information that Ukraine is supposedly going to abolish disability status in order to send more people to the front. As evidence, Russian propaganda cites a proposal to remove the concept of “disabled person” from the legislation. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by the fact-checker of the StopFake project. Minister of Health Viktor Liashko indeed stated that the Ministry of Health has prepared a bill according to which the disability notion is proposed to be replaced by the assessment of loss of functionality. However, this bill is not about abolishing “disability” or mobilization. This reform was discussed at the beginning of October at a briefing in Zhytomyr following the results of the Congress of Local and Regional Councils under the President of Ukraine.

For Ukraine , the goal is to abandon the post-Soviet model of determining disability, which provides a person only with benefits and compensation. And the task of the state should be “to return a person to an economic state”. However, benefits and payments should not be canceled. And they plan to implement the changes themselves in 2025, which once again proves that the reform is not related to mobilization.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the Ukrainian government and sow panic among Ukrainians. They say that the counteroffensive failed, there are not enough people at the front, so the authorities are trying to mobilize everyone, including people with disabilities. Previously, we talked about the manipulation that in Ukraine they created body armor for pregnant women as they are allegedly going to send them to the front.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are disseminating information that checkpoints are being set up in the Lviv region supposedly for “raids on men of military age”. If this practice shows a positive result, such checkpoints will be installed in other regions. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by the fact-checker of the VoxCheck project. In fact, it is about mobilization, and checkpoints have begun to be set up to strengthen security measures. All this is in order to counter the possible penetration of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups and facilitate the work of air defense forces. This was announced by the first deputy head of the Lviv Military Regional Administration Andrii Hodyk during a briefing on September 28.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit government officials and sow panic among Ukrainians, because, they say, there are not enough people at the front, and the counteroffensive has failed. Earlier, Detector Media talked about the manipulation that the West is forcing Ukraine to lower the conscription age and “send minors to the meat grinder”.

Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media and anonymous telegram channels claim that the European Commission and the European Council allegedly officially sent a letter to the King of Spain with a request to grant permanent residence permits in the country to the children of the President of Ukraine, the ex-minister of defense and minister, as well as other Ukrainian officials. It's fake.

The fact-checker of the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found that the “letter” being circulated by propagandists is a fake, likely based on a letter from the European Council to King Mohammed VI of Morocco dated September 9, 2023. This letter can be found on the official website of the European Union. Meanwhile, the “letter” that propagandists talk about is not there, which is atypical, since all letters and statements from EU institutions are published on the website. The “letter” is not on the European Commission website either. In addition, Russian media have not been able to decide on the status they are “asking” for the children of Ukrainian officials. While it is about “citizenship” or “nationality”, the “letter” talks about a certificate of permanent residence. The procedure for obtaining a certificate in Spain by applying to the king is illogical, since without it it can be obtained using a simplified procedure in accordance with European Council Directive 2001/55/EC. In addition, the “letter” lists only male persons with a purely Russian transcription of first and last names, which does not coincide with the official transcription for Ukrainian foreign passports. The fake was refuted by the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

Propagandists spread such fakes to discredit the Ukrainian authorities and cause panic among the population about a “comprehensive mobilization”. They say that while some are caught on the street and taken to the centers of recruitment and social support, the children of politicians are taken abroad so that they are not taken to war. Detector Media previously talked about other fakes regarding mobilization in Ukraine.

This thesis was spread on social networks, in particular on telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric. Reports say that women with medical education began to “escape” from Ukraine en masse, because from October 1, 2023, medical and pharmaceutical workers must register with the military. In support of this thesis, propagandists show alleged data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and explain that more than 25 thousand women with medical education allegedly left Ukraine over the past two weeks.

The VoxCheck analysts investigated the case and found that the State Statistics Service does not publish such statistics, and therefore, no data on the migration of doctors and pharmacists simply exists. That is, propagandists came up with this information. After all, migration statistics on the State Statistics Service website have not been updated since January 2022 due to martial law. Experts explained that in Ukraine, at the state level, the migration movement of the population is monitored according to several indicators: the number of arrivals and departures and the corresponding coefficients of these processes. Moreover, such indicators are formed annually, not weekly. And they do not separate out information about the professions of those who arrived and those who left, that is, such data is not collected. Data can be classified by type of area, gender, age, etc.

Also, statistics on the migration movement of the population are published by the State Migration Service of Ukraine. But this body also does not provide information on the distribution of migrants by profession.

Since October 1, 2023, medical and pharmaceutical workers must indeed register with the military, but registration with the military does not mean mobilization or the establishment of restrictions on traveling abroad. The Ministry of Health notes that registration is necessary only to summarize data on the existing reserve of doctors in the country. The travel of this category of women is unlimited.

Russian media broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are disseminating information that the ex-Minister of Defense of the United Kingdom, Ben Wallace, allegedly stated the need to lower the conscription age. As Russian propaganda notes, they are going to resort to such measures due to the alleged “complete failure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces summer counteroffensive”. And this will be a continuation of the “Western policy” of killing a large number of Slavs associated with the Ukrainian and Russian sides”. This is manipulation.

The case was investigated by the fact-checker of the StopFake project. They established that Russian propaganda refers to a column by Ben Wallace published in The Telegraph. Wallace didn't actually write about the failed Ukrainian counteroffensive or the need to draft 16-year-olds and “throw them into a meat grinder”. On the contrary, he noted that Ukraine will win this war, and the allies must increase the pace of assistance.

Ben Wallace writes that Putin is mobilizing all of Russia, and in Ukraine the average age of soldiers on the fronts is 40. “So, as Britain did in 1939 and 1941, perhaps it is time to reassess the scale of Ukrainian mobilization”, Wallace said. It was this quote that Russian propagandists used to create manipulative news.

Thus, Russian propaganda continues to promote the narrative that the Ukrainian counteroffensive is a failure, and the West will indeed destroy Ukraine. Previously, we described the message that the European Union benefits from Ukraine’s defeat in the war.

Anonymous telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric are disseminating information that Ukraine plans to mobilize men over 60 years of age. Russian propaganda refers to bill No. 10084 on amendments to Part 2 of Article 22 of the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service”. This is manipulation.

The case was examined by fact-checkers from the Center for Countering Disinformation. They found out that in fact the bill refers to military personnel with a high level of professional training, who were recognized by a military medical commission as fit for health reasons. At their request, they may be retained in military service. Russian propaganda manipulated to create the impression that men over 60 will definitely be mobilized in Ukraine.

Thus, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the Ukrainian authorities and promote the message that Ukraine has high losses during the counteroffensive, so the decision was made to mobilize those over 60 years old. Propagandists are also trying to sow despondency and panic among Ukrainian society. Previously, we talked about the manipulation that Zelenskyi said that all Ukrainians should wear military uniforms so that the Russians would be afraid of them.

Propagandists are actively disseminating information on anonymous telegram channels that allegedly the Volyn Regional Psychiatric Hospital and the Volyn Medical Center for Addiction Therapy are being merged in order to fire 15 doctors of the psychiatric hospital and 18 employees of the addiction center. They say that these people will be spared a deferment from mobilization and will be sent to the medical company of the 14th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is confirmed by the fact that the directors of both institutions were allegedly fired, and one of them was given a draft notice for resisting this idea. However, this is a fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that there are no plans to fire or mobilize doctors from both hospitals. The decision to reorganize the psychiatric hospital was made by the Volyn Regional Council even before the full-scale invasion, namely on December 9, 2021. This decision provided for the dismissal of the heads of both institutions, but not the remaining employees. However, on March 16, 2023, deputies of the regional council canceled this statement and decided to reorganize the Volyn Medical Center for Addiction Therapy. As a result, the hospital will take over the rights and responsibilities of the center, and the center's property will become the property of the mental hospital. As a result, they decided to join the smaller one to the larger one. In addition, Volyn officials note that the staff may even have to be expanded, since as part of the reorganization they plan to increase the number of beds. VoxCheck specialists were unable to find news about the issuance of a draft notice to the ex-director of the Volyn Medical Center for Addiction Therapy, Ihor Shkarovetskyi.

It is noted that psychiatry and narcology are related disciplines, therefore the practice of combining specialized institutions of these disciplines is common in Ukraine. In addition, consolidation will help to obtain more funds. The merger takes place within the framework of the third stage of medical reform on the creation of a wealthy network. This reform is being carried out to improve the quality of medical services and free medical care.

Using such manipulations, propagandists want to exaggerate the scale of mobilization in Ukraine and intimidate the civilian population. They say that the Ukrainian government does not care about serious problems, so it puts ordinary people at risk and mobilizes mental hospital workers. Detector Media has already written not only about numerous manipulations on the topic of mobilization in Ukraine, but also about how Russian propaganda reinforces stereotypes about mental health.

On anonymous telegram channels, propagandists are actively distributing an alleged quote from the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umierov, where he allegedly calls for the mobilization of 16-year-old teenagers into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, because “why can guys make children from the age of 16”. However, this is a fake.

Specialists from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They found out that Umierov did not make such a statement, and there is no mention of him on the Defense Minister’s social media accounts. In addition, the photo with the “quote” shows the UNIAN media logo. In fact, this quote is also not on the UNIAN website or pages on social networks. The publication has not maintained the “Quotes of the Day” column in the telegram since March 11, 2022. Current Ukrainian legislation, in particular the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service”, allows military service only from the age of 18.

Using such fakes, propagandists want to cause panic among Ukrainians and deliberately exaggerate the pace of mobilization. Like, everything is so bad in Ukraine that it has to mobilize teenagers. Detector Media has already refuted a number of fakes and manipulations on the topic of mobilization in Ukraine.

Such information was disseminated in social networks, in particular on Telegram channels that broadcast pro-Kremlin rhetoric. The reports talk about “mass arrests” of Ukrainians of draft age in Germany - and that later they are allegedly sent to the front lines. Video evidence, the testimony of one of the men who witnessed such a situation with his own eyes is attached to the reports. It is not true.

Specialists of the VoxCheck project investigated this case and established that on September 5, the representative of the president in the parliament, Fedir Venislavskyi, stated that there will be no mass extradition of male evaders to Ukraine from abroad. In fact, the “deportation of conscript men” is generally impossible, since there is no legal basis for it. Ukrainian diplomatic institutions cannot deport Ukrainians for mobilization, just as EU power structures are not authorized to form any units of Ukrainians on their territories. That is, there is no legal mechanism or precedent for the mobilization of Ukrainians as EU members.

At the same time, Ukrainian law enforcement officers can investigate and prove in court the facts of illegal border crossing under martial law. And for extradition from abroad, it will be necessary to prove the guilt of each conscript under the laws of the country of his stay in a local court.

That is, if the extradition process is used for Ukrainian conscripts abroad, it will be applied only to evaders who illegally crossed the border.