Kenneth Glad
Officials are seeking to separate public commentary from current defense policy. The latest clarification comes as debate continues over how military obligations could evolve during a prolonged war.
A Ukrainian parliamentary committee said on Aug. 25 that there are no plans to mobilize women and that no legislation is being prepared to introduce such a measure.
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence said there are no relevant draft laws, legislative initiatives or internal discussions. It also said women continue to join Ukraine’s Defense Forces voluntarily, writes The New Voice of Ukraine.
“The mobilization of women in Ukraine is not being carried out, prepared or considered,” the committee said. “Women join the Defense Forces exclusively on a voluntary basis.”
The committee said comments from individual public figures should not be mistaken for pending legislation or an agreed parliamentary position. It also urged Ukrainians to check official information before drawing conclusions about changes to mobilization rules.
Former officials argue for broader service
The issue gained renewed attention after former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov discussed the future of military obligations in an Aug. 20 interview with RFE/RL.
Reznikov argued that Ukraine should eventually consider a system in which military duty applies regardless of gender. He referred to countries with broader service requirements, including Israel, while discussing how states facing persistent security threats organize national defense.
Keith Kellogg, a former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, also voiced support for mobilizing women, according to The New Voice of Ukraine. His position added to the public debate but did not reflect a change in Ukrainian law or an announced parliamentary initiative.
The committee’s Aug. 25 statement was intended to clarify that distinction and to counter the impression that compulsory mobilization of women was already under active consideration.
Officials warn of information manipulation
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, said Russia was exploiting the controversy to spread misleading narratives about Ukrainian mobilization policy.
“The Russians are currently feeding off this topic, thanks to some of our strange experts who decided to talk about something that isn’t happening and won’t happen,” he said, according to The New Voice of Ukraine.
Kovalenko’s comments reflected a broader concern among Ukrainian officials that speculation about military rules can be amplified quickly during wartime, particularly when statements by former officials are presented as current government policy.
Women already serve in significant numbers across Ukraine’s armed forces. Then-Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in March that about 75,000 women were serving in the army, including more than 55,000 active military personnel.
He said “their numbers grow every year.”
Separate changes to Ukraine’s wider mobilization framework have also been discussed. Roman Kostenko, secretary of the parliamentary national security committee, said on Aug. 23 that substantial reforms were being prepared, including possible adjustments related to mobilization age.
Sources: RFE/RL; The New Voice of Ukraine
