Russia spreading fake about death of soldiers enlisted under Contract 18-24 program – CCD

As reported by Ukrinform, the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) announced this in a statement on Telegram.

"The information about the alleged mass death of soldiers on the Kursk front who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) through the Contract 18-24 program is false," the statement reads. 

According to the CCD, Russian Telegram channels are spreading a series of posts claiming the "complete destruction" of several groups of supposedly Ukrainian soldiers aged 18–24 from the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade of the AFU in Kursk region. The disinformation claims that these soldiers, after a brief period of training, are being immediately sent to the front lines, where they are allegedly killed in battle.

After verifying the information with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the CCD reported that the newly contracted soldiers under the Contract 18-24 program are still undergoing training and preparation stages. Furthermore, the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade is not operating in the Kursk sectror, making the claims by Russian propaganda completely false.

The CCD emphasized that such fakes are part of a broader Russian information campaign aimed at undermining public trust in Ukraine’s mobilization process and discrediting the Contract 18-24 program.

"Russian propagandists have repeatedly spread false claims about the program, all of which the CCD has debunked," the statement added.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, Russia is preparing a provocation in Mykolaiv, aiming to falsely accuse Ukraine of committing a crime.