Russian propaganda distorts Ukraine’s draft policy and vilifies its military
On April 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bill lowering Ukraine’s draft age from 27 to 25. The decision came in response to the harsh reality that Ukraine’s military is depleted and needs to be replenished.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies found that Kyiv has about 680,000 active servicemen, while Russia has 1.2 million.
In addition, draft dodging has been a longstanding issue. “Tens of thousands of other eligible Ukrainian men are estimated to be evading the draft, at home or abroad,” The Associated Press reported in February.
Even worse, Ukrainians considering enlisting have been flooded with news of that ammunition and other weaponry are in short supply on the frontlines.
Against the backdrop of this policy challenge is the disinformation cocktail Russia has created surrounding Ukraine’s draft policy and the extent of its mobilization.
Russia’s foreign ministry most recently claimed that Ukraine is “hunting” men to enlist.
Throughout the war, Ukraine has protected young men from being drafted, which has kept the average age of military servicemen at about 43 years old. In addition, the government has offered a range of draft exemptions, including those pursuing a secondary degree and various parental categories.
Yet, Russia has continuously distorted and sensationalized the situation into an apparent manhunt.
Russia has spread fake stories and stories with negative spin across platforms portraying rare instances of abuse of power by Ukraine mobilization centers as commonplace and claiming that is simply how the military draft in Ukraine works.
Russia has long attempted to stoke fear among Ukrainians, and potentially sow division among Ukraine and its allies, by suggesting that Ukraine would extradite Ukrainians abroad.
In February 2023, Reuters reported on fake letters claiming to be from the Ukrainian government requesting the personal data of “Ukrainian males over the age of 18” from refugee hosts in the United Kingdom. The Baltic news outlet Delfi similarly found such fake letters circulating in Lithuania and Latvia.
In September 2023, fake letters claiming to be extradition notices from the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice were sent to Ukrainian refugees in Ireland and circulated on social media.
Russian state-sponsored media also regularly publish articles claiming either that Western countries have refused to extradite Ukrainians who have allegedly evaded military service or, conversely, that the European Union has agreed to extradite them.
Ukraine has not formally asked or signed a treaty with the European Union to extradite military-age Ukrainian men. Clara Broekaert, a research analyst at The Soufan Center, told Polygraph.info:
“…the Council of Europe’s European Convention on Extradition and the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as various EU member-state laws, make the possibility of mass extradition highly improbable.”
In February 2024, Russia went further, sending messages impersonating a Ukrainian bank and propagating the idea that Ukraine had expanded its draft policy to asset freezing.
Myth Detector, a Georgian fact checking outlet, reported that posts on Georgian and Russian Facebook accounts spread the false story that Ukrainian Oschadbank was blocking cards for clients who had evaded conscription. These posts included images of texts that read: “Your card has been blocked due to failure to appear at the military registration and enlistment office.”
Another theme of disinformation pushed by Russian officials and media is that Ukraine is mobilizing minors. Both the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova and Russian U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky falsely claimed that Ukraine was “reviving” a “Hitler Youth” group.
Such propaganda was also recently spread on Telegram and other platforms, using the images of a supposed 17-year-old Ukrainian soldier who died in combat or boys in military uniform being bused to the frontlines. Both were taken out of context and mischaracterized: the first image was of Volodymyr Sachala, a 26-year-old soldier, while the other was of students at Ivan Bogun Lyceum, an independent private military academy.
Bret Schafer, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy, told Polygraph.info that Russia’s depiction of the Ukrainian military is at times “a little bit of a schizophrenic”:
“You will see them portray the Ukrainian military as outmanned, outgunned, at times incompetent. And at the same time, you will see these sorts of images of Ukraine as being a sort of pretty lethal fighting force that is at times committing war crimes.”
Russia has also promoted the idea that Ukraine attempted to mobilize the elderly. According to Myth Detector, images appeared on social media platforms and Russian state-sponsored media of fake leaflets urging Ukrainian seniors to enlist, with slogans like: “It’s never too late to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine!”
There is “a consistent thread,” Broekaert told Polygraph.info:
“Ukraine is portrayed as corrupt or morally bankrupt, implying Russia’s inevitable triumph in the conflict. False narratives include border guards being authorized to shoot draft dodgers, the coercion of vulnerable groups…and allegations that those resisting mobilization are facing execution…”
She added:
“Russia’s exploitation of Ukraine’s efforts to boost its ranks through recruitment and conscription primarily relies on depicting the war as deeply unpopular within Ukraine, painting a picture of desperation and coercion.”
