A new hoax about the mobilization of women has been circulating online
Russian Telegram channels have launched a new wave of fake news about the alleged mass mobilization of women in Ukraine. Propagandists are circulating fake photos of draft notices and screenshots of correspondence, but these materials are not true.
Russian Telegram channels are once again spreading disinformation about the alleged forced mobilization of women in Ukraine. This time, propagandists are publishing photos purporting to be draft notices from territorial recruitment and social support centers. The fake documents allegedly mention women from Kyiv and Kharkiv. Screenshots of messages are also circulating online, purportedly discussing the receipt of draft notices from the recruitment centers.
These posts claim that women are allegedly being summoned en masse to the TCCs to update their military registration information. However, these photos and screenshots are fake. The original source of these hoaxes was a network of Russian Telegram channels that regularly spreads false information about Ukraine.
That said, the possibility of women being summoned to the TCC is not a fabrication. Women who are already registered for military service may indeed receive such summonses to update their information. In particular, this may apply to women with medical and pharmaceutical specialties who are registered for military service. However, such cases do not signal the start of a mass mobilization of women. These are isolated procedural matters related to military registration.
This new wave of disinformation is part of an ongoing Russian disinformation campaign. This is not the first time Russian propaganda has spread such reports about the alleged preparation of forced mobilization of women in Ukraine. The goal of these reports is to sow fear among Ukrainians and create the impression that the Armed Forces are facing a critical shortage of personnel.
At the same time, Ukrainian women can join the Armed Forces of Ukraine on a voluntary basis. According to available information, there are no legislative initiatives or internal decisions regarding the introduction of mandatory mobilization of women. Therefore, the photos of “summonses” and correspondence currently being circulated by Russian Telegram channels do not indicate the start of mass mobilization of women in Ukraine. This is reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.
A video is being actively shared online in which Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk allegedly calls for “disciplining Ukrainians with a stick.” In reality, the video is fake and, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation, was created using artificial intelligence.
