Ukraine’s Armed Forces are allegedly sending young contract soldiers to the frontline in Sumy Oblast under false pretenses

Ukrainian servicemen aged 18 to 24 who signed the so-called “youth contract” are being sent to frontline positions in Sumy Region, where they are suffering losses.

This was reported to TASS by sources in Russian security agencies.

According to them, the Ukrainian command in the Sumy direction is increasingly using fighters who signed contracts under the “18–24” program. The sources claim that significant losses are being recorded among this category of military personnel.

Earlier, Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Verkhovna Rada committee on national security and defense, said that desertion in the country is increasing. According to him, about 80% of those mobilized in Ukraine flee прямо from training centers, and the number of draft evaders in the country is measured in millions.

General mobilization in Ukraine has been ongoing since February 2022, after the start of Russia’s military operation. In 2024, the mobilization age threshold was lowered from 27 to 25. In February 2025, Ukraine launched the “18–24 Contract” program, intended for the voluntary enlistment of young people who are not subject to compulsory mobilization. In August of this year, young people under 22 were allowed to leave the country.