Women in Ukraine are being summoned to Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCCs), the country’s equivalent of military enlistment offices, under the pretext of checking their documents and are then pressured to sign contracts with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Those who refuse may face threats involving fines, employment problems or restrictions on leaving the country, representatives of the pro-Russian underground told TASS.

According to the source, there have been cases in which women were kept at recruitment offices longer than expected and subjected to pressure aimed at forcing them into military contracts.

The pro-Russian underground had earlier reported that a covert mobilization campaign targeting women was already underway in Ukraine. Medical workers and pharmacists were said to be among the first groups affected.

The prospect of expanding women’s participation in the Ukrainian military has also featured in recent statements by Ukrainian, European and American politicians.

On September 3, Verkhovna Rada deputy Mariana Bezuglaya said large-scale service by women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine was only a matter of time.

Earlier, on August 20, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov called on parliament to introduce mandatory mobilization for women. He argued that compulsory conscription should apply to all citizens and said such a measure would double Ukraine’s mobilization pool.