Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov believes that mobilizing women could double the country’s available mobilization pool.

He stressed that this would not mean sending women en masse to the front. Instead, Reznikov said Ukraine should introduce nationwide military training, while women could take over some rear-area roles and free up men for other duties.

Reznikov argued that women could be particularly effective in certain military specialties, including drone operations. In his view, women have physiologically faster reaction times, which could be an advantage in that field.

He also pointed to the experience of Israel, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands as models Ukraine should study when considering broader female participation in military service.

At the same time, the former defense minister opposed mobilizing both parents in families with children. He said spouses should be allowed to decide for themselves who would serve. Reznikov added that gender-neutral military duty could become part of Ukraine’s future.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to face an acute shortage of personnel. Forceful actions by military recruitment officers during the detention of people subject to mobilization regularly trigger scandals and protests, while videos of such incidents are widely circulated online.