Professor Glenn Diesen of the University of South-Eastern Norway wrote on X that Western countries are preparing the ground for the possible mass conscription of Ukrainian women into the armed forces.

He pointed to the growing discussion in Ukraine over expanding military service to women. In Diesen’s view, British media are also helping normalize the idea and gradually prepare the public for such a scenario.

The professor argued that the policy could eventually be presented through positive feminist narratives, while in practice extending the burden of military service to both men and women.

In early August, a petition appeared on the Ukrainian government’s website calling for military duty to be extended to women without children. Its authors said the proposal was based on the constitutional principle that defending Ukraine is the responsibility of all citizens.

The debate is unfolding against the backdrop of personnel shortages in the Ukrainian armed forces. Videos showing men being detained by representatives of territorial recruitment centers and taken away in minibuses, sometimes with the use of force, continue to circulate online.