Russian propaganda spreads fake ads for '18-24' and '60+' military contracts

Russian media outlets posing as Ukrainian, along with Telegram channels and bots on the social platform X (formerly Twitter), have been sharing what appears to be an Instagram ad for a supposed "18-24 contract" from the 3rd Assault Brigade. The image features a young man in work clothes carrying a military-style backpack, with the caption: "Back pain again and the foreman still isn't paying?" and a link prompting users to "submit an application." The brigade's logo is also included, suggesting the ad originated from the unit itself. Propaganda accounts further claim that Ukraine is using such tactics to recruit men living abroad.

But this is entirely false. While there is an Instagram account under the handle 18_24.ab3.army, it contains no posts — only a list of followers.

The real recruitment campaign from the 3rd Assault Brigade is titled "Your Year in the Third [Brigade]," and its official Instagram bio links to a verified recruitment website.

On both the official website and the campaign's Facebook page, legitimate ads feature photos of fully equipped Ukrainian soldiers.

As for Instagram ads, we found a separate project by the 3rd Assault Brigade that starts with a short questionnaire to assess the applicant's motivation and preparedness. It does not link directly to the recruitment site or feature misleading visuals.

Another telltale sign of the ad's inauthenticity is its use of the Russian word "прораб" ("foreman") — a term that would be correctly written as "виконроб" in Ukrainian.

In fact, the fake ad image first appeared on known Russian propaganda channels.

Russian sources have also been spreading another fabricated ad for a so-called "60+ contract," allegedly targeting elderly Ukrainians for military service.

That ad is fake as well. The promotional flyer was clearly created using a graphic editor. The photo of the elderly man holding a rifle can easily be found on Russian stock photo websites.

Interestingly, the same image was previously used by the Russian propaganda channel Tsargrad, which also promoted the fake "18-24 contract" ad.

These fake campaigns are part of a broader effort by Russia to undermine Ukraine's mobilization efforts and discredit its recruitment system.

As Ukrinform previously reported, Russian propagandists have also circulated a fake story about President Voolodymyr Zelensky's suit at the Hague summit.

Andriy Olenin