Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Comments on Cases of Erroneous Registration of Women for Military Service

On April 7, 2023, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense released findings regarding the erroneous registration of women for military service, which resulted in some being assigned the status of 'wanted'. These statements were made in response to a request from Radio Liberty, where representatives of the ministry elaborated on the situation that has generated considerable public outcry.

According to the information provided by the Ministry of Defense, the errors may have stemmed from legislative changes that occurred between December 2021 and March 2022. During this period, regulations were in place that mandated a broader list of professions for the compulsory military registration of women. However, these regulations were later amended to favor a voluntary principle, with the exception of medical personnel. Nonetheless, data collected based on information from educational institutions and state bodies may have been erroneously included in official documents, which led to these mistakes, the ministry noted.

Furthermore, the ministry indicated that the erroneous entries in the registry could have been caused by both technical and human factors. 'Regarding the case of a Ukrainian citizen that gained significant public attention, the individual was registered, placed on the wanted list, and subsequently removed from the wanted list by employees of the Kharkiv Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TCRC and SS),' the official statement read.

The press service of the Ministry of Defense also emphasized that the ministry and the military leadership of the country are responding to these incidents by conducting internal investigations and preparing relevant regulatory changes. 'The command of the Ground Forces and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have initiated an investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding the violations of legal requirements by officials of the TCRC and SS, particularly regarding the situation in Kharkiv,' the ministry reported.

Additionally, proposals have been developed to amend Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 523, which would allow for the removal of erroneously created records from the Unified State Register of Conscripts, Military Personnel, and Reservists. The Ministry of Defense emphasized that if an individual believes they have been registered without proper justification or that the data in the Obereg system is incorrect, they are advised to contact the relevant authorities.

Among the cases that have provoked public outrage is that of Irina Kharatsidi-Loginova from Kyiv, who reported to Suspilne on March 19, 2023, that she had been mistakenly included in the lists of military personnel and declared wanted by the TCRC, despite not being on military registration. After her appeals to the TCRC and subsequent checks, the woman was removed from the wanted list; however, her registration data remained in the system, and she continues to seek their correction.

On March 28, 2023, the TSN publication reported that dozens of cases had been recorded in Kharkiv where women with civilian professions, unrelated to medicine or the military, unexpectedly found themselves on the TCRC's wanted list. After a brief search on social media, the women discovered that nearly all of them had lived or studied previously in the Shevchenkivskyi (formerly Dzerzhynskyi) district of the city. It was this district's TCRC and SS that had entered their data into the Obereg system with false professions. At that time, at least 30 similar cases were reported.

On April 4, 2023, the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied rumors regarding the mobilization of women and explained that certain instances of incorrect registration are systemic errors. 'Recently, there has been a surge of reports in Ukrainian media and online spaces about the alleged preparation for the mobilization of women into the military. This information is unfounded, manipulative, and is being used by the enemy to undermine mobilization processes and discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine,' the officers emphasized.