Ukraine to close borders for ‘mobilized women’
All women in Ukraine who have a medical or pharmaceutical education will be obligated to register with the military starting next month, President Vladimir Zelensky’s parliamentary representative Fyodor Venislavsky announced on Friday.
The official, who is also a member of the Verkhovna Rada parliamentary committee on national-security issues, noted also that all of the qualified women would be restricted from traveling abroad once they register.
Venislavsky noted that the move comes following amendments that were made by the Ukrainian parliament to the country’s mobilization laws last year, which allow for the military registration of women.
“If they are registered, they receive the status of those liable for military service,” he said, noting that after that, they will be bound to the relevant travel restrictions. “That is, if there are some separate documents giving the right to temporary departure, then yes, they will be able to leave. If not, then they, just like men, will be limited in their right to travel,” Venislavsky was quoted as saying by RBC Ukraine.
Zelensky’s representative also added that women who have military or military-type degrees will also be required to register for service starting next month. He noted, however, that there are currently no plans to expand the list of specialties that would fall under this order.
The Ukrainian parliament’s 2022 mobilization amendment also stated that women who hold professions such as lawyers, programmers, musicians, social workers, accountants, journalists, videographers, scientists, veterinarians and managers can enlist voluntarily.
At the same time, the spokesperson for the State Border Service of Ukraine Andrey Demchenko contradicted Venislavsky’s statement, claiming that travel limitations will only be applied to conscripted men and civil servants and that there have been no recent changes in the rules regarding women.
However, if such changes are adopted, the border service will follow the relevant rules, Demchenko said.
