In a comment for StopFake, the 117th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade in the Sumy region claimed that this information is fake. There is even no 153rd brigade in the Armed Forces. Instead, the 153rd separate battalion of the territorial defense was formed in Shostka at the very beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. In Ukraine, only citizens over the age of 18 are considered conscripts and can be drafted.
A number of Kremlin news sources are spreading information that the first youth brigade in Ukraine is allegedly being created in the Sumy region. Propaganda claims that in Shostka the local military commissar drafted 14-16-year-old boys who were supposed to be sent to paramilitary courses. Instead they formed the 153rd brigade of the Military Intelligence Service.
“Against the background of the horrendous personnel losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Territorial Defense during the current “counteroffensive”, the illegal mobilization of teenagers reminiscent of the “Hitler Youth” and other “werewolves” by the Kyiv junta was only a matter of time,” writes one of the propaganda channels.
Russia is again trying to use the narrative that Ukraine allegedly has a lack of people at the front, and that is why children are being recruited into the army. StopFake refuted similar disinformation in the articles Fake: Ukraine Wants to Ban Teenagers Aged 16 From Leaving The Country and Fake: Kyiv Sends Children to War.
In reality, this is another fake. In Ukraine only citizens over the age of 18 are conscripted, and there is no mobilization of teenagers in the country. StopFake reached out for a comment to the 117th brigade of territorial defense, which was being created in Sumy Oblast. The brigade noted that such news is another Kremlin lie, and no children’s brigade is being formed in Ukraine at all and in the Sumy region in particular.
In addition, the 153rd brigade of the territorial defense, which is allegedly formed from children, does not exist at all. Instead, the 153rd separate battalion of the territorial defense was formed in Shostka back in 2021. In social networks, you can find photos of the battalion and see that there are no teenagers among its fighters.
In Ukraine, all citizens aged 18 to 60 who are able to perform their military duty are subject to mobilization, except for exceptions provided by law. There is no mention of any mobilization of minors in Ukraine.
