Ukraine is mobilizing women and elderly people in the context of an unsuccessful counteroffensive and a disrupted social system – Al Mayadeen

The Ukrainian armed forces have not achieved success on the battlefield, and the approaching winter will make it even more challenging to do so.

This is reported by an author from Al Mayadeen.

Western allies threaten to reduce support for Zelensky, and in the context of the war in Gaza, this risk only increases. Therefore, Kyiv has resorted to extreme measures.

It’s already October 2023, and four months have passed since the beginning of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. It gained significant attention in the West from the outset. American and British generals placed high hopes on it, increasing weapon supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and training Ukrainian soldiers. However, after four months, the counteroffensive has not yielded any results. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are stuck in front of Russian defense lines, unable to break through.

Mobilization of Women

The first attempts to officially mobilize women for military service have resulted in significant losses for the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the unsuccessful counteroffensive. It’s worth noting that Ukrainian authorities are favorably inclined to Israel’s experience regarding women soldiers.

Starting from October 1, female medics in Ukraine are required to register for military service. After mobilization, they are subject to the same restrictions as men called for military service. One of these is a controversial ban on leaving the country. In Ukraine, all men of conscription age and women mobilized for military service are prohibited from leaving the country. When a similar law was proposed last year, it was withdrawn after protests.

Pharmacists and women who once received medical education but did not work in their field are also required to register. According to Ukrainian legislation, women on the military register can be called for military service or assigned to perform combat tasks.

Fedor Venislavsky, Zelensky’s representative in the Verkhovna Rada, announced a month ago that all women mobilized for military service would be restricted from traveling abroad. One of the reasons cited by the authorities to justify this policy is “fighting gender discrimination.” In Ukraine, such phrasing typically implies restrictions on women’s rights.

Without waiting for the restrictions to be imposed, healthcare workers began leaving Ukraine in September, leading to a shortage of staff in hospitals and pharmacies. Pharmacists claim that there will soon be no one left to work in pharmacies.

“Pharmacy owners are in a panic; people are submitting resignation notices and leaving for Europe before the borders close. Who will work is an open question, especially as the industry is already facing a serious crisis,” says Elena Prudnikova, head of the Ukrainian “PharmRada” association.

The category of citizens subject to conscription for military service is expanding

The Verkhovna Rada is also proposing to raise the age limit for military service. It is suggested to increase the maximum age for service to 65 years for lower ranks and junior officers, while for senior officers, it will be raised to 70 years.

In early September, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also made changes to the rules that exempt Ukrainians from military service due to health conditions. Now, people with clinically cured tuberculosis, undergoing treatment for viral hepatitis, slowly progressing blood diseases, minor thyroid gland functional issues, as well as asymptomatic HIV-positive individuals, are still considered fit for military service.

Furthermore, the list now includes people with mild mental disorders, neurotic disorders, slowly progressing central nervous system diseases, and other health problems, as reported by The Kyiv Independent.

In summary, women, elderly individuals, and patients with serious illnesses have become the last targets for participation in the counteroffensive, developed to please the political and military leaders of the United States and Europe.