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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Thousands of Ukrainian women serve in Ukraine's defense forces, and that number is growing each year, according to the Ukrainian Armed Forces command at the start of the year. Over the past week, Ukrainians have been discussing the topic of general mobilization, which could provide for military service for women under the same conditions as men; currently they serve only voluntarily. This is why the debate began and what arguments its participants make — in the Gordon piece.
"Mordor in space won't fly for everyone." Why Reznikov believes Ukrainian women should serve.
The wave of discussion around mobilizing Ukrainian women rose after a statement by Oleksiy Reznikov, who was Minister of Defense from the end of 2021 to the fall of 2023. He referenced women’s service in the army in a published 20 August interview with Radio Liberty, answering journalist Vlada Lazur’s question about radical changes in mobilization and forming a new social contract.
"If we really want to solve this task, we need to look at successful experiences in countries where it exists. The closest to us today in terms of threat level is the State of Israel. [...] There, women serve in the army just like men," he said.
Reznikov explained his view with examples: he saw, at the Desna training center, instructors on robotic systems teaching tankers and gunners — women. He also noted that women could be drone operators. So, under this concept, the idea is to involve women in national defense on the same principles as men, i.e., general military duty for citizens of both sexes, though it is not assumed that women would be "storming positions."
When Lazur asked how this would be formalized in a decision, he replied: "The Verkhovna Rada must decide and amend legislation to make military general duty to defend the country incumbent on all citizens of Ukraine."
Gender equality, Reznikov continued, means that women also must serve in the army.
"And then we will immediately double the mobilization resource. Then one can clearly understand that there are military positions and specialities that women can easily undertake, and they do not need to go to the front line. They fill many rear positions, in support, and then men can be moved from rear positions closer to the front. And the question is whether society is consciously prepared to say that, like Israel, we can survive only if everyone believes we must defend Ukraine," added the former minister.
The journalist pressed whether Reznikov believed that, in order to restore order in mobilization, it was first necessary to declare general mobilization — for both men and women. The ex-minister called such a decision the "key to Ukraine’s survival."
"Unfortunately, Mordor in space won't fly. Next to us, our aggressive neighbor has more than 100 million people. And even if this war ends, they will still remain an aggressive neighbor. For us to survive and for our descendants to live in a peaceful, prosperous Ukraine (which I believe in), we must change our attitude. This should be a new social contract, when women consciously say: 'We are also ready to defend Ukraine together with men,'" he added.
During the discussion, Lazur again asked whether mobilizing both men and women should come first in this process — and the ex-minister clarified that the process should begin with an information campaign, because the word "mobilization" already implies compulsion.
"And I’m talking about something else. I’m saying you should start with an information campaign, creating a clear understanding in society. Building confidence among the majority that women also must defend the country together with men. If such a mood begins to dominate in society, the Verkhovna Rada will easily walk into the chamber, press the buttons, and it will be 'ta-ta-ta-ta' — passed," he added. In his view, such a campaign does not exist yet in Ukraine.
Reznikov anticipated that his idea would provoke a lot of backlash from audiences — and he was right: it drew a large response. Under the Radio Liberty video alone, more than 1,3 thousand comments. Users, in particular, recall the controversy over his "egg on 17 hryvnias" incident (which he also commented on) and ask whether his children and wife will serve.
About Reznikov’s plans for his 23-year-old student son, the ex-minister told Lazur: the son plans to join the military and trains so that, when the time comes, he can be useful. His daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, and younger brother are in Ukraine, Reznikov added, without specifying the relatives’ occupations.
Reznikov himself is now 60 years old and cannot be mobilized, but, as the ex-minister says, that isn’t necessary — he teaches at the Military Academy named after General Bereznyak (teaching GUR officers the art of negotiation) and is a civilian employee of the Armed Forces.
"Women fight no worse than men."
When the discussion around Reznikov’s statement began to subside, a new wave of mobilization debate was sparked by comments from Kello Kellogg, former U.S. special representative for Ukraine. About whether mobilization of women in Ukraine is needed, Kellogg was asked in an interview by journalist Anna Maksymchuk — and the former Trump envoy called the issue devious, because the journalist knew his background.
"My daughter was in the military, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and fought in Afghanistan. So do I think women should be mobilized into the army? My answer is yes. Because they fight no worse than men. It’s very important that women as part of society go to service. So I personally and professionally see no problem. My wife was a paratrooper, jumped with a parachute. My daughter was a paratrooper, jumped with a parachute. My wife fought in Grenade, and my daughter in Afghanistan. By the way, that’s why my daughter comes to Ukraine so often. She is fearless," Kellogg said in the interview, which aired 24 in August.
Reaction
Although these statements sparked resonance and much debate, both speakers are former officials and were expressing their own views and positions. Neither initiated such a step nor has such authority. Moreover, the opinions voiced by Reznikov and Kellogg are not new. For example, Maria Berlininska, head of the Center for Aeroview Support and the Victory Drones project, said in an LB Live interview earlier in 2025 that Ukraine was already at the stage where all adult residents, including women, should be prepared for military service. A few petitions on the Government portal also called to reconsider approaches to women’s military registration, including proposals to introduce compulsory military service for civilian women without children.
In the wake of the discussions, Russian propaganda fabricated a fake about "hidden mobilization" of women in Ukraine — allegedly affecting medics and pharmacists. However, women join the Ukrainian military exclusively on a voluntary basis, stressed Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. "Russians are now exploiting this topic thanks to a few of our odd experts who decided to talk about what does not exist and will not exist," he wrote.
Mobilization of women in Ukraine is not needed, as is the case with statements about it, says the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation.
Hanna Maliar, who was Reznikov’s deputy, noted that in the issue of mobilizing women, the Ukrainian General Staff has set the tone from the beginning of the full-scale war, and that since the start of the war women have joined the armed forces voluntarily, and servicewomen have the right to perform combat tasks on the front line.
"To date, women have not been forcibly sent to the front," she assured.
Oleksandra Vereshchuk, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, criticized Kellogg’s words.
"They found someone to mobilize — women. I understand all of this, but I would like to see more missiles. I would like to see more willingness from the United States than advising to mobilize women. I am a servicewoman, I am very calm about mobilization, — Vereshchuk commented. — Our women are now tractor drivers, and they sit behind the wheel of trucks. They work, they have taken on a lot of men’s work. But let’s be clear, we don’t need America telling us to mobilize women."
But not everyone is against it. For example, military medic Iryna Kovalenko drew attention to Ukraine’s legislation — Article 65 of the Constitution of Ukraine on the obligation to defend the Fatherland is gender-neutral (different rules for women and men are already spelled out in the law on military duty and military service).
"What are these women who sent everyone to war now sending deputies and cops? I waited for this moment as the talk began and the Yaroslavna cry started. But aunts and girls, what? There is now almost parity in chances to get involved with men? So ridiculous. Everyone will fight, you all messed up. Welcome. By the way, in my battalion there are vacancies — we are waiting. Kisses and booms, you militant Valkyries and Xenas of ours," she ranted.
The discussion reached such a level that the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence issued a separate statement dedicated to this issue.
"Mobilization of women in Ukraine is not carried out, is not being prepared, and is not being considered. No legislative initiatives, bills, or even internal discussions about mobilizing women exist. Women in Ukraine join the defense forces exclusively on a voluntary basis. Statements by individual speakers publicly mulling over this topic do not reflect actual legislative work or the committee’s position," the statement stressed.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has not commented on these issues.
As of the beginning of 2026 year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine included more than 75 thousand women, of whom more than 55 thousand were servicewomen.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Резніков закликав мобілізувати жінок "як в Ізраїлі", Келлог підтримав: "Не бачу проблеми". Головне про дискусію". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Gordon.
