Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine, questioned the logic of discussing the mobilization of women in the country in a comment for Novosti LIVE. In his words, such an initiative looks illogical against the backdrop of the current situation with the conscription of men of draft age. "How can you mobilize women when not all men, for example, have been mobilized? That's rather strange," Budanov stated, emphasizing that there is currently no need to mobilize women in Ukraine.
Context: from Kellogg to the parliamentary committee
The topic of possible mobilization of women in Ukraine has once again become the subject of active public discussion against the backdrop of statements by foreign representatives. In particular, U.S. Presidential Special Representative Keith Kellogg expressed the view that women, in his belief, should be mobilized, since, in his words, they "fight no worse than men." This statement triggered a wave of speculation in Ukrainian and foreign media, which was promptly refuted by officials.
Official position: no forced conscription is taking place or planned
In response to the resonance around Kellogg's words, Andrii Kovalenko, Head of the Counter Disinformation Center, categorically stated that the forced mobilization of women in Ukraine is not taking place and is not planned. He clarified that women can join the country's Defense Forces exclusively on a voluntary basis. Thus, at the state level, a clear distinction is drawn between voluntary participation in hostilities and forced conscription.
Parliament: no bills on the mobilization of women are under consideration
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence also commented on the situation, stating that no bills or initiatives concerning the mobilization of women are under consideration. In parliament, citizens were urged to rely exclusively on official sources of information and not to fall for information manipulations, which, in their assessment, are being actively spread on social networks and in certain media outlets.
Budanov's statement as a signal for public dialogue
Budanov's comment, made on August 27, 2026, can be seen as an attempt by the country's leadership to set the official position and put a stop to the further spread of inaccurate versions. His formulation — "not all men have been mobilized" — effectively indicates that the issue of mobilization in Ukraine as a whole remains open and sensitive; however, extending conscription to the female population is not part of the current action plan. Experts note that such statements are intended to reduce information noise and bring the discussion of mobilization policy back within the framework of the legislative process.
