Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media are disseminating information that despite the fact that the mobilization bill has not yet been adopted, women are already being sent to the front, especially those aged fifty. They say that most often nurses are mobilized, who, according to the authors of messages on this topic, then work in front-line hospitals, and sometimes are even used as attack aircraft. Propagandists claim that the supply situation for mobilized women is dire and therefore hold online fundraisers to meet their needs. The authors allegedly attached a screenshot of a message about such a collection. However, this is fake.

Analysts from the VoxCheck project drew attention to it. They discovered that the photograph in the post, presented as evidence of the forced deployment of nurses to assault teams, was in fact of volunteers. They produce equipment for the military, without reference to gender.

In addition, Bill No. 10378 does not mandate the mobilization of all women. In the bill “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine to improve certain issues of mobilization, military registration and military service”, which the Cabinet of Ministers submitted to the Verkhovna Rada on December 25, there are no ideas about mandatory mobilization for all women. Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence Roman Kostenko said that the Ministry of Defense proposed making registration mandatory for all women, but the majority of deputies rejected this idea. “90% of our committee is also against returning to this issue... I think that this issue will be resolved when a comprehensive plan for mobilization in Ukraine is developed, and we will not return to it again”, Kostenko said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, expressed a similar opinion, arguing that women can only be mobilized with their consent. Even President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that he would not sign a law providing for the general mobilization of women.

On January 11, the Cabinet of Ministers withdrew the bill on mobilization for consideration. So, women with related military specialties can register for military service at their own request. At the same time, women with medical and pharmaceutical education must register with the military by the end of 2026. Although theoretically they could be called up for military service or involved in defense work (currently no such cases have been recorded), the information that nurses are being forced into assault teams is unfounded.

The screenshot attached to the message shows the name of the author - Nataliia Lychman. She is the leader of the Crazy Needles volunteer group, which makes camouflage nets, suits, first aid kits, pillows and balaclavas for the military. Lychman actually posted these posts on January 12th. In one of the distributed screenshots, she reports that the detachment is sending equipment to the 56th brigade, and in another she asks to donate money to purchase fabric. There is no mention on her page that the equipment is intended specifically for women.

On January 13, a video appeared on Lychman’s page where military personnel (only men are visible in the video) are walking in camouflage suits made by the detachment. Also, videos of gratitude for the help were recorded by servicemen from other units, usually men. There are women stormtroopers in Ukraine, but they are all volunteers.

Another screenshot shows women in camouflage suits, but these are Crazy Needles volunteers, not military personnel. Members of this detachment can be recognized from previously posted photographs. This photo was also used by a representative of the Pishchanski People charity foundation, indicating that these were Crazy Needles volunteers.

Propagandists spread such fake news to cause anxiety and panic among the population. Like, everything is so bad that we have to mobilize women. It also deepens mistrust of Ukrainian government institutions and officials.

A video is being distributed on social networks where the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi allegedly says that he created a petition to “mobilize” people’s deputies. And also in the video, as he added, if by January 5, 2024 the petition does not gather a sufficient number of votes, Valerii Zaluzhnyi will supposedly “resign from office”. It's a lie.

The VoxCheck analysts looked into this stuff and explained that the video was compiled. The audio recording itself with the words about the creation of the petition was created using artificial intelligence, and then superimposed on an existing video of Zaluzhnyi. Also, on the website of the Office of the President or the Verkhovna Rada there are no petitions created by Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Using a special tool called AI Speech Classifier, experts were able to find out that with a 98% probability the audio recording was created using AI technologies.

Among other things, we recommend reading in more detail about the use of artificial intelligence technologies, in particular deepfake ones in spreading the pro-Kremlin agenda.

In the Russian segment of social networks, information is being spread that Ukraine wants to “cancel” the foreign passports of its citizens who are abroad. “There is no point in making new passports for survivors. Because Zelenskyi’s dictatorship simply cancels them”, the publications claim. It's fake.

The VoxCheck analysts sorted out this stuffing, explaining that the information is not true, because in official sources there is no mention of the cancellation of valid ID cards or international passports. As experts explained, for the first time such information was heard online against the backdrop of bill No. 10378 on mobilization submitted to the Verkhovna Rada. It provides that Ukrainian men from 18 to 60 years of age who are abroad will be able to apply for a passport, in particular a foreign one, and for other consular services at diplomatic institutions of Ukraine, only if they have military registration documents - a military ID, temporary certificate of military service or registration certificate.

But on January 11, 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers officially withdrew the bill to improve mobilization; it was removed from consideration. However, even in the withdrawn bill and other official sources there is no mention of the cancellation of valid passports of Ukrainian citizens or international passports. There is also no information that citizens located abroad will be prohibited from receiving or continuing the validity of such documents. After all, the same bill dealt only with the procedure for obtaining consular services.

Pro-Russian resources are disseminating information that the head of the Chernihiv state military administration, Viacheslav Chaus, at a press conference following the results of 2023, said that more than 50 thousand mobilized from the Chernihiv region have already died in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In fact, this information is not true, reports the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security. At the press conference, Chaus reported on the demographic situation in the region and noted that the decrease in indicators by 50 thousand residents is due to displaced persons since the beginning of active hostilities in other regions of Ukraine or abroad. That is, the information about the alleged disclosure by the head of the Chernihiv state military administration of the number of people mobilized in the region is a fiction of Russian propaganda, since Chaus did not make any statements on this topic.

In addition, exact data on the distribution of those mobilized by region is not published in open sources, as well as information on the number of killed and wounded defenders of Ukraine. The last is a state secret that will be disclosed only after the end of the great war.

Russian propaganda continues to speculate on the topic of mobilization in Ukraine, which has become sensitive for Ukrainians, since this topic concerns almost every family. The purpose of spreading this disinformation is to intimidate the Ukrainian people, saying that compared to the Chernivtsi region, the numbers throughout Ukraine should be tens of times higher. More exposures of fakes and manipulations by Russians on the topic of mobilization in Ukraine can be found here.

Propagandists broadcasting pro-Russian rhetoric on social networks and the media are distributing a video that allegedly depicts the murder of a Ukrainian recruiting officer while delivering a draft notice. They say that this footage was “shared by the National Police of Ukraine”. They add that this can be considered “the beginning of the civil war in Ukraine”. It's fake.

Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to it. They found out that the video being distributed did not indicate where this incident occurred, which the territorial center of recruitment and social support was being referred to, or when it happened. Such propaganda methods are used specifically to make it more difficult to identify the video and verify its authenticity. Also, the video itself is of very low quality, trimmed (consisting of 2 seconds) - this method is also often used to make it impossible to prove the falsity of the message.

The StopFake specialists also checked the official communication channels of the National Police in recent days and found neither the publication of this video nor information about the murder of a territorial center of recruitment and social support representative. This also indicates that the information being disseminated is fake.

Shortly after the appearance of this dubious video, the National Police published a refutation explaining what exactly it indicated forgery: “the published fragment of the video does not reflect signs characteristic of a shot from a firearm; the inscriptions on the vest of the person in the video are illegible, probably written in foreign letters, and employees of the territorial center of recruitment and social support, while on duty, wear camouflage clothing and without reflective vests; The “watermark” on the video is a fake of the Ukraine National Police mark and does not correspond to how the official video is marked. In addition, the National Police noted that they had not received any reports of the murder or injury of a territorial center of recruitment and social support employee.

By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to show that public outrage in Ukraine supposedly goes beyond limits. Russian propaganda often uses the topic of mobilization in Ukraine to create fakes and manipulations. Detector Media has repeatedly refuted them.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are disseminating information that in Ukraine, representatives of the patrol police have begun to detain men to hand them over to the Territorial center of recruitment and social support employees. As proof of this, a video of patrol officers knocking a man down is being circulated online. Such mobilization takes place in Ivano-Frankivsk.

This information is not true. The mentioned video recorded how law enforcement officers detained a man who was on the roadway and actually violated traffic rules by obstructing the passage of traffic. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, which verified this information with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In addition, the man in the video is 69 years old, which makes it impossible for him to mobilize, as propagandists write about. The police detained the offender and took him to the department, where they compiled administrative materials against him, but did not hand him over to the Territorial center of recruitment and social support employees.

By spreading this disinformation, Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the mobilization process in Ukraine. More rebuttals from the Detector Media on the topic of mobilization can be found here.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are disseminating information that in Rivne, residents of a house on Stepan Bandera Street will allegedly not be served by utility workers due to the fact that many citizens from this street did not appear to the military registration and enlistment office. “Announcements” with such information were apparently placed on the entrance doors of one of the Rivne high-rise buildings. In the text of the “announcements”, its authors refer to the Laws of Ukraine “On Social Services” and “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization”.

In fact, the information from the so-called “announcements” is fake. This was reported by the fact-checkers from the “No Lies” project. The Law of Ukraine “On Social Services” does not concern the maintenance of residential buildings by utility companies, but determines the needs of the population for social services. It is also not associated with mobilization. The Law of Ukraine “On mobilization preparation and mobilization”, which the creators of the fake refer to, also contains no such restrictions for men who evade conscription.

The Rivne regional administration itself has already refuted the information about the “announcement” and pointed out another discrepancy: Hrybnyk Street, where they are asked to “appear at the military registration and enlistment office”, does not exist in Rivne.

Russian propaganda speculates on the topic of mobilization in Ukraine, creating similar fakes. By playing on the sensitive topic of the availability of electricity and gas for Ukrainians, which became such as a result of the start of massive Russian shelling of critical infrastructure in the fall of 2022, propagandists are sowing fear, uncertainty and doubts in society.

Russian propaganda resources are disseminating information that there are checkpoints on the Polish-German border where Ukrainian refugees are allegedly detained in order to deport them. It's fake.

This misinformation was processed by the fact-checkers from the StopFake project. They found out that the mentioned checkpoints do exist, but they are not related to Ukraine. The checkpoints are set up for security reasons and are related to the influx of illegal migrants and the activities of smugglers who smuggle people across the border illegally. According to the head of the press and information department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Illarion Pavliuk, the Ministry is not developing any measures to put pressure on Ukrainians liable for military service who have traveled abroad.

After the promulgation of the Bill of December 25, 2023 to improve certain issues of mobilization, military registration and military service, Russian propaganda speculates noticeably more on the topic of mobilization. The bill in the first reading contains, in particular, an invitation to Ukrainians abroad to clarify their credentials. However, this is not a hunt for people, and no forced mobilization outside of Ukraine is planned.

Pro-Russian resources write that Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support employees began handing out draft notices to Ukrainian men in Warsaw. As proof, propagandists are distributing a video in which a man in military uniform allegedly issues a draft notice to a Ukrainian in the Polish capital.

In fact, the video is staged - it was shot by a Ukrainian military man who is undergoing rehabilitation in Warsaw after being seriously wounded in the war. The purpose of this production, according to the military man, is “to fray the nerves of evaders” who left Ukraine illegally. He spoke about this in a new video distributed by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

Russian propaganda systematically speculates on the topic of mobilization in Ukraine, in particular, spreading disinformation. Propagandists fuel their narrative with this fake, saying that the Ukrainian authorities are pursuing a policy of “grabbing” ordinary Ukrainians. Moreover, from now on they will supposedly “catch” Ukrainians abroad. Previously, we worked on the Russian message, according to which paying assistance to Ukrainian male refugees seems to be much more expensive than transferring them to the service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Pro-Russian telegram channels are disseminating information that supposedly the Kyiv city authorities are closing all exits from the city in order to begin en masse conscription of all men. As proof, propagandists are disseminating messages from the Service for Infrastructure Restoration and Development in the Kyiv region about the closure of the bridge across the canal in Vyshhorod.

The information disseminated online is untrue, as reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council. The publication of the Service states that the closure of the bridge is indeed connected with the start of its major repairs across the canal on the P-69 road Kyiv - Vyshhorod - Desna - Chernihiv. Traffic for all types of vehicles there will be blocked. However, during the period of major repairs, a pontoon crossing will operate, providing transport links for residents of the left bank part of the district and neighboring regions. That is, the opportunity to leave Kyiv, as well as enter the city, will be possible.

At the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, one of the spans of the bridge on the P-69 road Kyiv - Vyshhorod - Desna - Chernihiv was destroyed, so now the bridge is not able to withstand traffic loads and needs immediate repairs.

In this case, propagandists misinform Ukrainian society, in particular men, in order to intimidate and demoralize citizens, saying that now “one won’t even leave the city, not to mention the country”. In addition, with this fake, Russian propaganda fuels its narrative that a policy of “mobilization” of ordinary Ukrainians is allegedly taking place in Ukraine.

On hostile resources that broadcast pro-Kremlin rhetoric, they spread the message that men from “pro-Russian regions” are now being massively mobilized in Ukraine. They say that the most severe mobilization is taking place in Odesa, but the west of Ukraine is “not touched”.

“With Odesa everything is simple. There are too many people in the city who have a bad attitude towards the authorities and are neutral towards the Russian Federation, advocating an end to the war and further life anyway under some kind of flag (they once lived under the Soviet one, then under the Ukrainian one, and before under the imperial one, and that’s okay) . Based on this, it is necessary to increase the number of deaths among residents of such regions in order to increase aggression against everything Russian. This tactic is not new, Poroshenko has already implemented it”, said one of the anonymous telegram channels disseminating pro-Russian narratives.

This is manipulation. First of all, such messages are intended to impose the misconception that the lion's share of the population of Odesa supports Russia and is critical of the current Ukrainian government. This is also a typical method of indoctrination and dividing Ukrainians into classes: they say that Ukrainians of the “first class” (Ukrainians from the West part) are less likely to be drafted into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while the “lower classes” are used as consumables.

Black PR postcard “Three varieties of Ukrainians”, 2004. Source “Movement Honest”

Such rhetoric aims to sow division in society, to provoke suspicion and hatred of residents of some regions to others, since there is no accurate data on the distribution of those mobilized by region. General statistics with a clear number of mobilized in each region are not published in open sources. However, back in 2022, the head of the personnel department of the headquarters of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine argued that there are big mobilization plans in the western regions, since more citizens live there.

Previously, Russian propaganda distributed fake infographics that showed the percentage of mobilized citizens by region, where the Odesa region was in the lead.

Pro-Russian online publications and users of social networks are spreading a call to expel Ukrainian refugees from Germany to Ukraine in order to relieve the burden on the German budget to pay assistance to Ukrainian men and cover the “large losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” with recruits. By spreading this thesis, they distort an article by Peter Carstens, a journalist for the German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to liaise with and match Russian propaganda. It was analyzed by the fact-checker of the StopFake project.

The FAZ article does not call for the deportation of refugees. At the same time, the author compares the costs of social assistance to refugees who have received asylum in Germany with military support from Ukraine. From February 24, 2022 to September 2023, Germany has allocated approximately 24 billion euros to support Ukraine. Of this amount, more than 15 billion euros were allocated to help Ukrainian refugees. Data from the German Federal Government shows that military support to the Ukrainian army by the end of December 2023 amounted to only 5.4 billion euros. Carstens argues that this ratio of spending is ineffective in the context of the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine and it is necessary to increase the share of spending on military support for Kyiv.

Peter Carstens also presented the positions that exist in German society regarding Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees. In particular, he wrote that there are not enough workers in Ukraine not only at the front, but also for civil defense or for extinguishing fires. Carstens also quoted Bundestag member Roderich Kiesewetter: “It would be very helpful if the government could make an agreement so that these young people or older people can return without having to go to the front if they don’t want to”.

In early January, the topic of deportation of Ukrainian men from Europe appeared in fake news about the establishment of checkpoints to “filtrate” Ukrainian men with subsequent mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And also in conspiracy theories about the existence of a secret order for the return of men aged 18 to 60 years from abroad, otherwise their passports and Ukrainian citizenship will be revoked.

With such messages, propagandists try to incite distrust in the governments of states hosting Ukrainians. They are also manipulating the topic of developing a bill that could change the rules for registering those liable for military servicemen and performing military service.

Pro-Kremlin resources are disseminating information that Diia, the online government service, has begun selling tickets to the commercial show Evening Kvartal (“Evening Quarter”). Propagandists claim that in this way the state is promoting business, in the creation of which the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi is involved. “Proof” of such information is a screenshot from the phone, which shows that the Diia mobile application offers the user to buy tickets, also at a discount.

This case was analyzed by the fact-checkers from the StopFake project and they found out that the information was not true. There is only one service in the official Diia app that could potentially offer a concert ticket purchasing feature: Entertainment. However, you can only watch TV, listen to the radio or play the game Drone Army. There is no “buy tickets” option there. It was also not possible to find the corresponding service on the official website of the Diia and the online service’s Facebook page.

In addition, specialists from StopFake contacted the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, which is responsible for Diia, with an information request whether Diia really offered users to buy tickets for the Evening Kvartal concert. The press service of the Ministry responded that it was “undoubtedly fake”.

This information dump is intended to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyi, as well as the online public service service Diia, which allegedly cannot be considered trustworthy under these conditions. Moreover, according to Russian propaganda, such a “service” as selling tickets through Diia allegedly appeared in addition to another “service” of the mobile application - sending out draft notices for those liable for military service. However, the Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly denied information about “draft notices in Diia”. 

Propagandists are distributing an allegedly official letter, which states that Ukrainian men born between 1960 and 2006 who have submitted documents to obtain a passport at the foreign representative offices of the Document State Enterprise will receive temporary travel documents to return to Ukraine. Data about them will supposedly be entered into the register of persons liable for military service and will be provided for verification to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Territorial centers of recruitment and social support. Those who are wanted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Territorial centers of recruitment and social support will allegedly have their passport revoked.

In fact, this information is not true. The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security wrote about this.

Firstly, the Document State Enterprise does not have the authority to issue “temporary travel documents for returning to Ukraine” - this is handled by diplomatic missions or consular offices.

Secondly, men born in 1960 are now 63-64 years old, in 2006 - 17-18 years old. Only men from 27 to 60 years old are eligible for the prize. Here is another proof of the falsity of the information.

Thirdly, the mentioned letter was allegedly signed by Volodymyr Shvachko, but he was suspended from exercising his powers as general director for the duration of the internal investigation from December 26, 2023 to January 19, 2024. That is, he could not do this. If this “document” were real, it would not have been signed by Shvachko, but by a temporary acting official.

Fourthly, the “letter” contains a number of errors, including spelling errors. For example, “as received” is a tracing-paper from Russian. The text of the “letter” itself begins with the words “At your request”, but does not first contain the name of the person who made this request - this is unacceptable in official business correspondence.

By distributing this fake document online, Russian propaganda is trying to intimidate Ukrainian men abroad, saying that “the authorities have taken them seriously: they will all be found and mobilized”. This release of information took place against the backdrop of a sensational bill dated December 25, 2023 to improve certain issues of mobilization, military registration and military service. In particular, it proposes to introduce verification of men who are abroad. In addition, it spells out the negative consequences of violating the law if it is adopted in its original form.

Pro-Kremlin telegram channels are distributing a photo of an “announcement” allegedly posted in one of the Kyiv hospitals. It says that from the beginning of 2024 it seems impossible to get to a doctor “without a military ID”. The “announcement” refers to the so-called Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 147 of December 26, 2023. It's a lie.

The VoxCheck analysts investigated the case and found out that such a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers simply does not exist. There are only three documents on the government portal for the specified period (26.12.2023). However, they in no way relate to the procedure for visiting medical institutions. Moreover, only those liable for military service have a military ID. That is, this is a person who has served in the military, has a military education, or has reached 27 years of age. In other cases - if the man has not reached the specified age, and also without military service or education, is a conscript and has a registration certificate. At the same time, after 60 years of age, men no longer become liable for military service - they are removed from the register. That is, it is illogical to demand a military ID from men during an appointment with a therapist, because everyone has such a document. Therefore, the announcement photos were most likely compiled using image editors.

But according to the director of the Department of Health of the Ternopil Military District, Olha Yarmolenko, for planned care (long-term treatment or planned surgery), military registration documents, including a military ID, may be requested from men of military age. The VoxCheck specialists add: according to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of December 30, 2022, this is necessary for the timely maintenance of military records.

Moreover, men do not need a military ID to sign a declaration with a family doctor. All one needs is a passport, identification code and telephone number.

This information is disseminated by pro-Russian resources. They say that in the Kyiv region, in Bila Tserkva, during the presentation of a draft notice to a young man, a dispute arose between him and representatives of the the Territorial center of procurement and social support, as a result of which the guy was allegedly beaten so much that he needed hospitalization. Over time, he allegedly died in the hospital. However, this is fake.

The police department and the Territorial center of procurement and social support  of Bila Tserkva have already published official refutations of this information, fact-checkers from the “No Lies” project report. No one knows the witnesses from the ambulance workers who allegedly responded to the call, or the relatives of the deceased. In addition, on December 29, 2023, the person who was the original source of the fake news, which was subsequently picked up by propagandists, was exposed and recorded an apology video.

Russian propaganda continues to systematically discredit the mobilization process in Ukraine. It happens that Ukrainians themselves help propagandists with this, as, for example, in this case. More refutations on the topic of mobilization can be found here.

Telegram channels broadcasting pro-Kremlin rhetoric disseminate information that pregnant women are being “mobilized” in Ukraine. At the same time, they refer to “material from a foreign journalist” in support of their theses. It is not true.

The VoxCheck analysts investigated the case and found out that the author of the material was not a “foreign journalist” at all, but was in fact a Russian propagandist. Accordingly, the content of the “journalistic text” is untrue and deceitful. Moreover, the material itself was published in the Bangladeshi edition of Weekly Blitz. As experts explained, the editor-in-chief of this publication worked as the chief correspondent of the Kremlin TASS agency in Bangladesh.

At the same time, the text of the Russian propagandist is filled with Kremlin narratives regarding Ukraine: both about the mobilization of women; or about the hated “Kyiv regime” and the “collective West”.

Russian propaganda is once again speculating on the topic of “mobilization of women”.  But only doctors and pharmacists must register with the military from October 1, 2023; however, military registration does not mean mobilization or the establishment of restrictions on travel 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.

Pro-Russian resources are disseminating information that the results of a survey from the statistical service of the European Union showed that the majority of German citizens are in favor of Ukrainian refugees being forcibly extradited. However, this is fake.

There are no such statistics on the Eurostat website, which the propagandists refer to. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council. That is, information about the Germans’ support for the extradition of Ukrainian refugees is yet another propaganda fake. Another proof of the falsehood of the information is that this “survey” was not mentioned in any of the leading German media.

The goal of propagandists is to create the illusion that the world is tired of Ukrainians and Ukraine as a whole. Thus, Russian propaganda also seeks to demoralize Ukrainian refugees abroad, claiming that no one needs them and only creates problems where they come.

Read also: Ukrainians in Ireland are allegedly extradited to serve in the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Propaganda resources write that all the new checkpoints and engineering barriers installed in Kyiv are used to distribute draft notices. However, this is a fake.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Security analyzed this case. They found out that, according to official data from the head of the capital’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Serhii Popka, in different areas of the capital from December 25 to 28, 2023, the Defense Forces, together with the National Police and other units, are practicing training to increase the level of skills, interaction and combat effectiveness of all structures. These exercises involve the deployment of temporary checkpoints, the installation of restrictive signs, and elements of engineering barriers. There is also testing of vehicles, documents, checkpoint security elements, and certain demonstration, search and counter-sabotage activities.

Popko noted the systemic need for such training to identify shortcomings, correct mistakes and better prepare to protect the city and its residents from potential threats.

Russian propaganda is trying to discredit the mobilization process in Ukraine by spreading fake news of this kind. The spread of the fake news about the distribution of draft notices at temporary checkpoints in Kyiv occurs against the backdrop of the Bill of December 25, 2023 to improve certain issues of mobilization, military registration and military service. More materials on the topic of mobilization can be found here.

Pro-Russian resources are disseminating information that the results of a survey from the statistical service of the European Union showed that the majority of German citizens are in favor of Ukrainian refugees being forcibly extradited. However, this is a fake.

There are no such statistics on the Eurostat website, which the propagandists refer to. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council. That is, information about the Germans’ support for the extradition of Ukrainian refugees is yet another propaganda fake. Another proof of the falsehood of the information is that this “survey” was not mentioned in any of the leading German media.

The goal of propagandists is to create the illusion that the world is tired of Ukrainians and Ukraine as a whole. Thus, Russian propaganda also seeks to demoralize Ukrainian refugees abroad, claiming that no one needs them and only creates problems where they come.

In the pro-Russian segment of social networks, information is being spread that Chernihiv has come up with a “working scheme” for mobilization. They say that advertisements offering help to people in difficult situations indicate the telephone number of the Chernihiv Regional Military Office. However, this is fake.

The fact-checkers from Ukrinform analyzed this information. Currently, territorial recruitment and social support centers are functioning in Ukraine, which have completely replaced the military registration and enlistment offices, which are allegedly mentioned in the “ads”.​​

In a comment to Ukrinform, representatives of the Chernihiv regional  territorial recruitment and social support centers emphasized that their institution was the first center of the country. “On December 28, 2018, order No. 1 of the institution was officially signed. This date, accordingly, is the day of the founding of the Chernihiv  regional territorial recruitment and social support centers together with the city and district territorial recruitment and social support centers of the entire region”, the center reported. In addition, the phone number provided by the propagandists is also not valid. The current telephone number of the Chernihiv Regional territorial recruitment and social support centers can be found on their official Facebook page.

Russian propaganda seeks to discredit the mobilization process, so it creates fake news on this topic. Previously, we refuted information that in Ukraine they allegedly call on people to mobilize into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with their entire families.

Kremlin media and social network users spreading pro-Russian rhetoric began to spread false information that a Ukrainian military man was allegedly sent to the front in Avdiivka for filming a video in TikTok, and there he allegedly died instantly. In such messages, Russian propaganda adds his humorous video about “cleaning the general’s garage”, next to information about the death of a certain “Valerii Tarashchuk”. However, this is fake.

After disseminating such information, StopFake decided to check whether it was true that the military man was sent to the front because of a video on TikTok and whether he really died there. As it turned out, the information disseminated is not true.

The StopFake specialists began searching for the deceased “Tarashchuk Valerii” using his photograph. The search tool on social networks Search4faces displayed the inactive profile of “Stiopa Ihonin” on VK. Using this name, we managed to find his active pages on Instagram and Facebook with the image of the “deceased” Valeryii Tarashchuk. There are links on Instagram to Tiktok, where they found the video that Russian propaganda used.

The StopFake specialists contacted the user for a comment - whether he really belongs to the video distributed by Russian propaganda and whether he was really sent to Avdiivka because of his TikTok. The author of the video, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Stepan Ihonin, confirmed that this is his video, but the description that Russian propaganda provides him is fake. “I was shocked when my friends showed me this news. Everything that is written there is complete nonsense; I have not cleaned the garages of any generals. No one was looking for me and no one sent me to Avdiivka”,  said the military man. They also asked Ihonin about the inscription “I thought I was going to Avdiivka, but I went to clean the general’s garage” from the distributed video. The military man said that he did not make such an inscription. On his Tiktok profile, this video is without any captions and was published long before propagandists began to spread it.

They spread such fabrications to create a false image of Ukraine as a state that restricts the rights and freedoms of its citizens, as well as strictly censoring its media space. Moreover, propagandists resort to this to intimidate Ukrainians. They say that now they can be mobilized for humorous TikTok. Detector Media has repeatedly written about other Russian stories on the topic of mobilization in Ukraine.

Russian propagandists are distributing a photo of an advertising billboard showing a military man and woman in uniform, presumably in a combat zone. The billboard also features two slogans in the foreground: “together at home, together at the front” and “a military family is a special family”. That is, a man and a woman are allegedly calling on Ukrainians to mobilize into the army as families, and not alone. Russians claim that similar advertising appeared in Sumy. However, this is another fake.

The Center for Countering Information decided to contact the Sumy city military administration to confirm or deny this information. As it turned out, billboards with such content do not exist in the city or even its region - this is an invention of Russian propaganda. In addition, the photo taken by the Russians to spread this fake was taken back in 2021. It depicts married couples who began defending Ukraine back in 2016 as part of the 16th separate motorized infantry battalion.

The purpose of spreading disinformation of this type is to discredit the mobilization process in Ukraine. Moreover, these lies nourish the propaganda narrative that “the war will continue until the last Ukrainian”. Under the #mobilization tag, read more materials on this topic from Detector Media.

On social networks in the Russian segment, a screenshot of an alleged correspondence between an ex-officer of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, and an Instagram user is being circulated - and she allegedly wrote that “women should serve in the army”. It's fake.

The case was analyzed by VoxCheck analysts, who explained that on her pages on social networks, namely on X (formerly Twitter), Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine spokesperson Sarah Ashton-Cirillo reported that she did not correspond with the user about the mobilization of women and did not make such statements. She also noted that the Department of Strategic Communications of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Commander of the Territorial Defense Forces reported this fake.

Thus, propagandists are trying to convince that the Ukrainian leadership is allegedly resorting to “total mobilization” and is trying to “lure” people into the army by any means.

In Ukraine, only doctors and pharmacists must 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.

Read also: information messages from the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly “hint” that women will soon be mobilized.

Users of social networks and media figures spreading pro-Russian rhetoric began to spread false information that in Ukraine a man without a leg was allegedly declared fit for military service. A photograph of the temporary certificate of the person liable for military service with the corresponding decision is used as “evidence”. They say that even with one leg, a Ukrainian was recognized not as disabled, but as “limitedly functional”. The fake document notes that the man was “recognized” fit for service with a diagnosis of “amputation stump of the right lower limb above the level of the upper third of the leg”. Such a document, apparently, was allegedly signed by the head of the Desnianskyi regional territorial center for recruitment and social support in Kyiv, Dmytro  Klabukov.

After disseminating such information, StopFake decided to check whether a man with such a diagnosis could really be considered fit for military service. As it turned out, this information is not true.

Firstly, the order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine “On approval of the Regulations on military medical examination in the Armed Forces of Ukraine” contains a clear list of diseases, conditions and physical disabilities that determine the degree of suitability for military service. Article 63 of this list also contains a diagnosis that propaganda added to the fake document - “unilateral amputation stump of the lower limb above the level of the upper third of the lower leg”. With such a diagnosis, as noted in the Ministry of Defense document, a person is considered “unfit for military service with exclusion from military registration”. According to information as of December 11, 2023, this order is in effect.

Secondly, in the widespread “document” there is an incorrect wording regarding suitability or unsuitability for military service - “Fit for military service. Limited functionality”. The fact is that the said order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stipulates that after a medical examination of conscripts, one of the decisions must be made: whether they are fit for military service; temporarily unfit for military service, needs treatment in...; requires referral for additional medical examination and repeated medical examination; unfit for military service in peacetime, limited suitability under martial law; unfit for military service with exclusion from military registration. If a person had health problems and was fit for military service, he would be written “limitedly fit under martial law”, not “fit for military service. Limited functionality”.

Thirdly, since the circulated photograph shows that the document was signed by the head of the regional territorial center for recruitment and social support and joint venture in Kyiv, StopFake decided to contact them for a comment on whether such a document was really signed there. The representative of the institution replied that this document looked like a fake. In particular, he drew attention to paragraph No. 7, which states fitness for military service for health reasons. It is in this paragraph that the diagnosis with which the man, as they claim, was considered fit, is indicated. In addition, the  territorial center for recruitment and social support representative added that, based on the information in the photograph distributed by propagandists, the man should have been excluded from the lists of those liable for military service “as a convicted person”  (based on the information in paragraph No. 8 of the document being distributed. - ed.).

Such fakes are spread to discredit the government and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as to cause panic among the population. They say that everyone is being drafted into the army because everything is bad at the front. Detector Media also wrote about other inventions of Russians on the topic of mobilization in Ukraine.