This information is not true. There is no talk of forming a women’s battalion. The photo used by Russian propaganda to create the fake news shows local residents of Chernihiv region being trained in the basics of firearms.
Russian media and netizens spread a “news” claiming that Ukraine has allegedly announced the recruitment of a women’s battalion “Snow White” in Chernihiv region, which will consist of girls aged 16 to 30. Such pieces are accompanied by comments that there is no one left to fight in Ukraine, and therefore women are being sent to the front en masse.
In fact, there is no talk of any women’s battalion being formed. Russian propagandists took a photo from a real event – a training session on the basics of firearms conducted by the military of the regional command “Pivnich” for local residents of Chernihiv region – and presented it in a completely different, false context. These classes were indeed conducted by the 119th Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces, but, as can be seen from the description of the event, no recruitment was conducted during the exercises. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare the population for national resistance, including the basics of tactical medicine, firearms safety, and engineering training.
StopFake has repeatedly debunked similar fakes about the forced mobilization of women, children and pensioners, with the help of which Russian propaganda is trying to spread narratives about the allegedly very significant losses of Ukrainian Forces during the war, as well as major problems with the mobilization process. You can read about this in our pieces: Fake: Women Were Sent to Fight in Avdiivka, Fake: Ukraine Is to Draft Women, Fake: The First Teenager Drafted from Orphanage Was Killed, Manipulation: West Forces Ukrainian Forces to Draft Teenagers and others.
