Online Video Misrepresents Ukraine’s Conscription of Women in War with Russia

Ukraine began requiring women with medical and pharmaceutical backgrounds to register for the military on Oct. 1 and remain in the country in the event they are called into service. But a video, posted by a YouTube show that frequently spreads misinformation, misleadingly claims that Ukraine ordered all women ages 18 to 60 to “report for duty.”

U.S. officials estimated in August that 70,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed and 100,000 to 120,000 wounded since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. On the Russian side, the U.S. officials say there have been about 120,000 deaths and up to 180,000 injured soldiers.

The heavy Ukrainian casualties are partly due to limited medical facilities and staff on the front lines, the New York Times reported in August. Combat medics are often unable to get to casualties on the battlefield, and hospitals can’t handle the number of wounded.

Now, the country is requiring women with medical backgrounds to register at enlistment offices. Women in this group are prohibited from leaving the country.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry published Order No. 313 in December 2021, requiring all Ukrainian women ages 18 to 60 in more than 100 professions to register at enlistment offices. The order had called for registration by the end of 2022, but the Ukrainian Defense Minister postponed Order No. 313’s registration requirement until Oct. 1, 2023.