Russian propaganda spreads fake news about death of Ukrainian servicewoman from 'Contract 18-24' program
Propagandists have fabricated social media posts to discredit Ukrainian Defense Ministry's project
Russian media outlets, pro-war Telegram channels, and bots on social media platform X are circulating false reports about the alleged death of a Ukrainian servicewoman named Veronika -- one of the first women to enlist under the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's "Contract 18-24" program.
According to the disinformation, Veronika supposedly died on the front line, with her "mother" announcing the death via social media. Propagandists claim the 21-year-old woman left behind a young son, using fake screenshots from accounts allegedly belonging to Veronika and her "mother," identified as Tetiana Hapochenko.
This narrative is entirely fabricated. Firstly, the fake post falsely claims Veronika served in the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after Ivan Sirko. In reality, she signed a contract with the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians -- a fact officially confirmed by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Secondly, the forged post contains grammatical errors, such as "мій дочка" instead of the correct "моя дочка" (my daughter), indicating it was written by someone unfamiliar with proper Ukrainian grammar.
Thirdly, Veronika does not have a child. The screenshots used by propagandists are not linked to the real servicewoman. In a previous interview with ArmyInform, she mentioned having a younger brother but made no reference to having children.
One of the screenshots shared by propagandists comes from the VKontakte account of a woman named Veronika Hapochenko, born on September 8, 2002 -- making her 22 years old, while the Ukrainian servicewoman is 21. Another screenshot showing a child was pulled from a fake Facebook account with the name "Veronika Hapochenko." That profile features just one photo of a young boy, posted in January 2022.
Notably, the children shown in the shared screenshots look different, and the boy from the fake Facebook account appears older.
This fake story is part of a broader Russian disinformation campaign aimed at undermining Ukraine's mobilization efforts and discrediting the "Contract 18-24" initiative. Propagandists created fake posts, a fabricated Facebook profile, and used content from the banned Russian platform VKontakte to build the false narrative.
Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation (under the National Security and Defense Council) has confirmed that the claims are false. They emphasized that service members under the "Contract 18-24" program are still undergoing training and are not involved in combat operations.
The "Contract 18–24" program, launched this year, is a voluntary initiative for Ukrainians aged 18 to 24 who are willing to serve in the Ukrainian Defense Forces for one year. It offers UAH 1 million in total compensation -- UAH 200,000 upon signing and UAH 800,000 in two later installments. Volunteer fighters may also receive up to UAH 120,000 in monthly pay plus bonuses for combat missions, potentially totaling up to UAH 2 million per year. Additional benefits include zero-interest mortgages, free education, medical and dental care, and the right to travel abroad after completing service. The program also grants a 12-month exemption from mobilization after the contract ends.
Applications can be submitted via the official website or through the Reserve+ mobile app.
Earlier, Russian propagandists also attempted to circulate a fake story claiming that young Ukrainians were being recruited into the army through subscriptions to adult content platforms.
Andriy Olenin