KYIV, Ukraine — A fabricated procurement notice is being circulated online as proof that Ukraine is preparing to mobilize women, but official records and legislative bodies have firmly rejected the claim. The latest falsehood, promoted by Russian propaganda outlets, involves a doctored screenshot of an alleged Ministry of Defence tender for 150,000 women’s winter jackets. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine exposed the fake on Telegram, saying propagandists are using the invented document to suggest that preparations for female conscription are already underway. The claim has spread rapidly across social media and pro-Kremlin news sites, prompting urgent clarifications from Ukrainian authorities. According to the Center, the Prozorro system, Ukraine’s public electronic procurement portal, contains no record of any such tender. The absence of a listing is significant because all state procurement contracts must be published and searchable in Prozorro. The fabricated screenshot, therefore, does not correspond to any real administrative or logistical step. The Center’s statement emphasized that the image is a fabrication and that the narrative around it is part of a broader effort to mislead both domestic and international audiences. The fake notice appears to show a routine procurement process, but a simple search of the official database would reveal that no such tender exists. The Ministry of Defence has not issued any statement about purchasing women’s jackets, and no defense budget documents mention such an order. The number 150,000 is itself suspicious, as it would imply a massive expansion of female military personnel. Yet no official plan or policy shift has been announced. The Center’s warning came as Ukrainian officials continue to monitor and counter Russian information operations, which have intensified during the full-scale war.
The fabricated screenshot was shared by Russian Telegram channels and social media accounts with captions claiming that Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence had quietly placed an order for 150,000 women’s winter jackets. The implication was that the military was preparing to conscript women on a mass scale. The Center for Countering Disinformation said the screenshot is a fake. A check of Prozorro, the official electronic procurement system, found no matching tender. The Ministry of Defence has not issued any such procurement. The absence of any record in Prozorro is a decisive indicator that the document was manufactured. In addition, the alleged quantity—150,000 jackets—would represent an enormous logistical undertaking, and no official defense budget documents or announcements mention such a purchase. The fake notice appears designed to look like a routine procurement, but it contains inconsistencies that point to manipulation. The Center did not specify the exact origin of the image, but it noted that Russian information resources have a history of producing similar forgeries. The statement quoted by the Center read: “Russian propaganda is spreading a fabricated screenshot of an alleged announcement that the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine held a tender in the Prozorro system to purchase 150,000 women’s winter jackets. Propagandists present this fake as evidence that preparations are underway to mobilize women.” The Center added that the Prozorro system contains no data on any such procurement by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. It also stressed that there are no legislative initiatives, draft laws, or internal discussions in Ukraine concerning the mobilization of women. This is not the first time that Russian outlets have invented documents to support false narratives about Ukrainian military policy, and the pattern is well documented by Ukrainian fact-checkers and government agencies.
Ukrainian authorities have categorically denied the claim. The Center for Countering Disinformation stated that there are no legislative initiatives, draft laws, or internal discussions in Ukraine concerning the mobilization of women. The Press Service of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, also issued a statement emphasizing that the Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence is not preparing any such legislation. Under current Ukrainian law, women are not subject to conscription. Women may join the Defense Forces of Ukraine only voluntarily. This has been the consistent position of the government since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. While many women serve in the military, including in combat roles, their service is voluntary. The legal framework does not provide for the forced mobilization of women. The repeated claims about female conscription are therefore not merely premature; they are false. The Center’s statement stressed that the fabricated tender is being used to create the false impression that the government is secretly preparing for a policy shift that has no basis in official records. The Verkhovna Rada’s press service similarly emphasized that no relevant legislative initiatives are being prepared. The rapid response by Ukrainian institutions reflects the seriousness with which such disinformation is treated. By exposing the fake quickly, the authorities aim to prevent it from gaining traction. However, the narrative may continue to circulate on social media and in pro-Kremlin media, especially among audiences that do not have access to Ukrainian official channels. The Center’s statement also reminded citizens to verify information through official sources and to be cautious about sharing unconfirmed documents.
The issue of women in the military has been a subject of public interest and occasional misinformation. Since the start of the war, thousands of Ukrainian women have volunteered for military service. They serve as medics, drone operators, snipers, logistics officers, and in many other roles. The Ukrainian military has made efforts to improve conditions for female service members, including the development of women’s uniforms and equipment. However, these practical steps have sometimes been distorted by propaganda. The alleged tender for women’s winter jackets may have been invented to exploit this context. By linking a plausible procurement item to the idea of mobilization, propagandists hope to make the fake seem credible. In reality, the development of women’s military clothing is a routine matter of military welfare, not evidence of conscription. The Center for Countering Disinformation has previously warned that Russian propaganda often takes real developments—such as the registration of women with medical qualifications or the expansion of women’s roles in the armed forces—and twists them into false narratives about forced mobilization. This latest fake follows the same pattern. It is worth noting that some women with medical or other specialist qualifications are required to maintain military registration in Ukraine, but registration is not the same as mobilization, and no call-up of women has been ordered. The distinction is often deliberately blurred in Russian propaganda. The goal is to create the impression that Ukrainian women are being rounded up for military service, when in fact the legal situation has not changed. Women who join the Defense Forces do so as volunteers, and the government has repeatedly stated that there are no plans to introduce female conscription.
The Center for Countering Disinformation noted that Russian information resources regularly spread fabrications about the alleged forced mobilization of Ukrainian women. Such reports are part of a systematic propaganda campaign aimed at sowing panic, increasing anxiety, and destabilizing Ukrainian society. The goal is to create distrust in the Ukrainian government and military, to discourage women from supporting the war effort, and to generate international headlines that portray Ukraine as desperate or coercive. The fake tender is particularly insidious because it appears to be an official document. In reality, it is a simple forgery. The Center’s statement urged citizens to verify information through official sources and to be cautious about sharing unconfirmed documents. The Verkhovna Rada’s press service also reminded the public that no relevant legislative initiatives exist. The rapid response by Ukrainian institutions reflects the seriousness with which such disinformation is treated. By exposing the fake quickly, the authorities aim to prevent it from gaining traction. However, the narrative may continue to circulate on social media and in pro-Kremlin media, especially among audiences that do not have access to Ukrainian official channels. The Center’s statement also reminded citizens to verify information through official sources and to be cautious about sharing unconfirmed documents. The fight against disinformation is an ongoing part of Ukraine’s defense, and the government has established dedicated institutions to identify and counter hostile information operations. The Center for Countering Disinformation, which operates under the National Security and Defense Council, is one of the key bodies tasked with this work. Its regular updates on Telegram and other platforms serve as a reliable source of information for Ukrainians and international observers alike.
In summary, the screenshot of an alleged tender for women’s winter jackets is fabricated, and the claim that preparations are underway for the forced mobilization of women in Ukraine is untrue. The Prozorro system contains no data on any such procurement by the Ministry of Defence. There are no legislative initiatives, draft laws, or internal discussions concerning the mobilization of women. Women in Ukraine may join the Defense Forces only voluntarily. The fabricated notice is the latest in a series of Russian propaganda efforts designed to mislead and destabilize. Ukrainian officials have responded with clear, factual denials, but the fight against disinformation continues. Citizens and international observers should rely on official sources and be wary of documents that appear to confirm a major policy shift without any supporting evidence. The truth is that Ukraine’s official records do not support the claim, and the story is a fabrication from start to finish. As the war continues, such fakes are likely to persist, and the need for media literacy and reliable information will only grow. The Center for Countering Disinformation has called on the public to report suspicious documents and to check the Prozorro database directly before believing any claims about state procurement. The Ukrainian government remains committed to transparency, and the absence of any real tender is a clear sign that the alleged procurement notice was manufactured for propaganda purposes. The claim about the mobilization of women is false, and it should be treated as such by both Ukrainian citizens and the international community.