DISINFO: Chronically ill, disabled and HIV positive men to serve in Ukraine
SUMMARY
Zelenskyy touts in the media the magnificent and progressive successes of the Ukrainian advance; however, in reality, the losses are so significant that they undermine the military capacity of the army. Kyiv has been compelled to issue a decree to recruit individuals with lower suitability for military service due to a shortage of men. This includes people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and even those who are asymptomatic but HIV-positive.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Ukrainian armed forces, deployed in the context of Russia's unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in order to undermine Western popular support to Ukraine and the credibility of Ukrainian armed forces.
The claims about men with viral hepatitis, asymptomatic HIV, and mental illnesses being drafted into military service are false. They have been also been circulated by Telegram channels.
This statement manipulates the content of Order No. 490 of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, on Approval of Changes to the Regulations on Military Medical Examination in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the regulation, individuals in the circumstances referred to in this case were previously subject to conscription under conditions of martial law. The Medical Commission was tasked with individually determining whether a conscript was fit or fit with limitations for service. Now, these articles have been removed, and everyone receives a unanimous verdict of “fit” under conditions of martial law.
These changes are part of the reform of the Military Medical Commissions. At the beginning of 2023, a working group was formed to address this issue, consisting of relevant ministries, parliamentary committees, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the NGO Pryncyp.
This group conducted surveys of military personnel and military medical commissions staff, identified problems, and developed a roadmap for change, including organisational, legal, and digital aspects. According to Ukraine’s Minister of Health, Viktor Liashko, the following priority issues were identified for resolution: "long queues, excessive bureaucracy, paper-based document submission, the potential for corruption in decision-making, and insufficient funding for the system".
As explained by Masі Nayem, co-founder of the NGO “Pryncyp” lawyer, and military expert, the legislative changes are aimed at reducing corruption risks in the military medical commissions’ operations, particularly in the sale of conclusions regarding limited fitness or unfitness.
Read the full debunk on Vox Ukraine.