Claim: The Ukrainian parliament is preparing to pass a new bill making 14yo eligible for mobilisation. Ukrainian MP Maksym Savrasov allegedly stated that the minimum age for military registration would be lowered to 14 years.
Conclusion: The claim was based on a fake, unverified article that was later deleted, with the website that published it issuing a public apology. Maksym Savrasov and other Ukrainian officials denied the claim.
The claim was through viral social media posts (example Spetsnaℤ 007 🇷🇺) and the Russian disinformation network Pravda/Portal Kombat.
According to the claim:
The Verkhovna Rada proposes to register Ukrainians for military service from the age of 14: the corresponding bill is already more than 70% ready, – MP Maksym Savrasov
The document, in particular, assumes that:
▪️TCC will be allowed to work directly with class teachers in schools.
▪️Teachers will be able to provide data on students demonstrating certain results in physical training for registration on special records.
▪️Those who lag behind in terms of physical training are planned to be trained as drivers-mechanics.
▪️Girls are planned to be involved in work in analytical centers that process intelligence data, as well as in work as cooks and doctors.
What are the facts
First, a Google search for Maksym Savrasov led to an English-language article (ranked third in search results) stating that the National Security Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament denied the claim. The same article revealed that the original source of the claim was a publication on the website 44.ua.
Since the direct link to the article was unavailable, a targeted Google search was conducted using the command: “site:44.ua 14 років” (14 років means “14 years old” in Ukrainian).
This search method allows users to find content within a specific website. The results showed that 44.ua had indeed published such an article five days earlier. Below is the Ukrainian text from the article, followed by an automatic English translation.
However, the article has since been removed. Further searches on the website revealed another follow-up article debunking the original claim. The site issued an official apology, explaining that the false article resulted from paid political content (a fake interview with Savrasov) that was not properly verified. As a corrective measure, they donated the revenue from the article to the Sternenko Fund for purchasing drones for the Ukrainian army. The website also acknowledged that Russia uses disinformation campaigns to spread false narratives and cause panic.
Maksym Savrasov immediately denied the claim, stating:
“The website 44.ua published a fake interview with me, claiming that I was preparing to lower the conscription age to 14. This conversation never happened. Please rely on trustworthy sources of information.”
Other Ukrainian officials also denied the claim. MP Oleksandr Fediyenko called it false and urged the public to verify information before sharing it. David Arakhamia, leader of the parliamentary group Servant of the People, confirmed that no such initiative exists in parliament.
In Ukraine, military registration and conscription (mandatory military service) are two separate processes related to citizens’ military obligations. All Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are required to register with the military authorities. Conscription refers to mandatory military service. In April 2024, Ukraine lowered the conscription age from 27 to 25 years, meaning that men aged 25 to 60 are now subject to mandatory conscription. Those aged 18-24 are not required to serve, but may enlist voluntarily.
As part of Russia’s disinformation campaign regarding teenage conscription, a similar claim had circulated and was fact-checked in late 2023.
Conclusion
The claim was based on a fake, unverified article that was later deleted, with the publishing website issuing a public apology. Maksym Savrasov and other Ukrainian officials denied the claim.