DISINFO: Kyiv is forced to mobilise men by force on the streets
SUMMARY
Kyiv is forced to mobilise men by force, unleashing teams of recruiters to hunt for cannon fodder on the streets of cities and villages across Ukraine. More and more draft dodgers are trying to evade conscription by buying fake documents and paying traffickers to leave the country. The number of Ukrainian “permanent losses” (dead plus irretrievably wounded) is unknown, but it must be high because conscription of men from the age of 18 and even women is likely to be introduced.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about mobilisation in Ukraine.
It is a part of a wider disinformation campaign to promote the idea of a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive, the inevitability of Russia’s victory and ultimately the need to compromise and accept Russia’s terms.
A new mobilisation law of Ukraine came into force in May 2024.
Ukraine’s mobilisation bill was subject to approximately 4500 amendments, underlining the complexity of the issue. The final version focused on regulating the process of identifying and registering potential conscripts, reviewing eligibility for mobilisation, and revising penalties for evading service. Key points include the introduction of an online register for recruits and the lowering of the age for draft eligibility from 27 to 25, not 18 as falsely claimed in the article.
In line with the new regulations, men of military age will now be obliged to update their registration details within 60 days of the law entering into force, either at regional offices or via an online portal. They will be required to carry their military registration documents and present them upon request or when applying for a passport. Meanwhile, penalties for evading mobilisation remain relatively mild. These include modest fines and the potential revocation of drivers licenses.
The new mobilisation law does not extend to military-age females. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier stated his opposition to obligatory military service for women. While they are not subject to conscription, many Ukrainian women do choose to enlist in the armed forces voluntarily, with approximately 60,000 currently serving in a variety of positions including front line roles.
See our analysis on how Russian special information operations try to undermine mobilisation in Ukraine.
Read similar cases claiming that Ukraine is training pensioners as tank crews because its military reserves are gone, that the Kyiv regime is desperately mobilising women into the army, that Ukraine began mobilising women.