Russia Deploys AI to Spread Disinformation About Ukrainian Mobilization

Ukrainian President Addresses Conscription Concerns, Warns of Russian Disinformation Campaign

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged existing challenges with the country’s military recruitment system while warning that Russia is deliberately spreading false information about Ukraine’s conscription practices, including through AI-generated content.

In an interview with German broadcaster Tagesschau published on February 23, Zelenskyy addressed growing concerns about the operations of Ukraine’s territorial recruitment centers (TRCs), which have become a focal point of controversy amid the country’s ongoing defense efforts against Russian aggression.

“Of course, there are many challenges with the TRCs, but there is also a lot of misinformation, a lot of AI,” Zelenskyy explained, referring to viral claims circulating online about widespread forced conscription in Ukraine. “Russia did this deliberately to show that Ukraine is bussifying everyone, although this is not entirely true.”

The president emphasized that Moscow strategically exploits any Ukrainian missteps to sow panic among the population. This disinformation campaign appears designed to undermine Ukrainian morale and create internal discord at a critical juncture in the conflict, which has now entered its third year.

In response to these challenges, Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has been tasked with overhauling the current conscription system. “The Ministry of Defense has been instructed to clarify this issue and find a more technological approach,” he stated. “We will see how the minister copes. We will support them in any way we can.”

The comments come as Ukraine continues to face significant personnel challenges along its extensive front line. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has confirmed that a comprehensive conscription reform is indeed in development, though specific details have not yet been made public.

Ukraine’s territorial recruitment centers remain the primary source of military personnel, according to Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who stated on February 6 that TRCs provide approximately 90 percent of the country’s defense forces. The remaining 10 percent are recruited through individual military units’ own recruiting initiatives.

The controversy surrounding conscription practices has intensified in recent months as Ukraine grapples with manpower shortages while facing a numerically superior Russian force. Videos allegedly showing aggressive recruitment tactics have circulated widely on social media, though many have been debunked as either staged or taken out of context.

Military analysts note that Russia’s disinformation campaign appears designed to exploit legitimate concerns about conscription to amplify internal divisions within Ukrainian society. This approach aligns with Russia’s broader information warfare strategy, which has consistently sought to undermine Ukrainian solidarity since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Ukraine’s military leadership faces the delicate task of addressing genuine concerns about recruitment practices while maintaining sufficient troop levels to defend against continued Russian offensives along the eastern front. The proposed reforms will likely aim to introduce more transparent and efficient recruitment mechanisms while countering Russian narrative manipulation.

As the conflict continues with no immediate end in sight, Ukraine’s ability to balance military necessity with public concerns about conscription remains crucial to maintaining both domestic support and international backing for its defense efforts.