Elena Teslova
10 September 2026•Update: 10 September 2026
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said Thursday that the European Commission supports discussions in Ukraine about mobilizing women and is urging Kyiv to take steps toward introducing the policy.
In a statement on Telegram, the SVR said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the discussion as “a step in the right direction” at a recent informal meeting of EU foreign ministers and partner countries.
"According to information received by the SVR, the European Commission welcomes the intensification of discussions in Ukraine on the issue of mobilizing women," it said.
It cited Kallas as saying that Ukraine is facing an increasing shortage of men fit for military service, and that without conscripting women, Kyiv will soon simply not have enough "manpower" to continue the war with Russia.
"Brussels is demanding that representatives of the Ukrainian side immediately 'move from words to deeds' and adopt a political decision to begin the mobilization of women. Israel is cited as a role model, having 'a long and successful experience of an existential war with an aggressive neighbor,'" it said.
The EU was also considering mechanisms to return Ukrainian citizens from European countries to Ukraine to ensure a continued pool of military personnel, according to the Russian intelligence service.
It said up to 5.6 million Ukrainians were in European countries, of whom women make up 43.4%, and claimed the largest numbers of potential recruits were in Germany, Poland and Czechia.
The EU adopted a decision in July under which new arrivals who cannot show that they are authorized by Ukrainian authorities to leave the country in accordance with their military obligations will generally not qualify for temporary protection.
