Fact check: Russia turns to AI to push fakes about 'women's draft' in Ukraine

Russian disinformation campaigns continue to target Ukraine, this time focusing on claims of a forced draft of women. Pro-Kremlin social media platforms and Russian media have circulated AI-generated images depicting women being recruited into the Armed Forces. However, these claims are false; there is no mandatory draft for women in Ukraine.

Telegram channels, particularly Ukrainian- and Russian-language ones, have been instrumental in spreading these fabricated stories. One specific post from September 15 claimed that posters featuring women in military uniforms appeared around Odesa, while others claimed similar banners were seen around Lutsk. Screenshots of these alleged posters were shared on Telegram, but AI verification tools confirmed they were generated by artificial intelligence.

Another false image circulated on a Russian state TV presenter's Telegram channel, allegedly showing a poster in a Kyiv shopping center. This narrative has resurfaced periodically, often utilizing new AI-generated imagery. Russia has increasingly employed AI to spread disinformation more rapidly and widely. While women have volunteered to join the Ukrainian military, there is no mandatory draft for them.

The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation confirmed there are no legislative initiatives or discussions regarding women's conscription. Moscow initiated this disinformation campaign as rumors of women's conscription circulated in Ukraine. Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and former U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg both suggested mobilizing women to bolster Ukraine's manpower, but no legislative action has been taken. The mobilization of women remains confined to AI-generated content.