The provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service” stipulate that women who are fit for military service in terms of healthand age, and who have graduated from institutions of vocational, pre-higher, or higher education and obtained a medical or pharmaceutical degree, are subject to military registration as persons liable for military service.

Women who are registered for military service may be called up for military service or enlisted on a voluntary basis to perform work related to national defense during wartime.

Regarding Automatic Enrollment in the Military Registry 

Institutions of vocational (vocational-technical), pre-higher, or higher education that train women in medical or pharmaceutical specialties shall, within seven days after the completion of the relevant education, submit a list of such women in the form specified in Appendix 14 of the Procedure for Maintaining Military Registration to the district (city) territorial recruitment and social support centers (hereinafter referred to as “Recruitment and Social Support Centers”) based on the declared/registered place of residence of such women.

This information serves as the basis for the TCC and SP to enter such women into the Unified State Register of Conscripts, persons subject to military service, and reservists, of information regarding such women as persons subject to military service, specifying their military registration specialty number (without determining their fitness for military service).

Regarding the requirement to report to recruitment and social support centers

Women who have completed education in a medical or pharmaceutical specialty are requiredreport to the recruitment and social support center within 60 days after completing their relevant education at their declared/registered place of residence to determine their fitness for military service.

Regarding the military registration of female medical professionals at private clinics

Heads of state agencies, local government bodies, enterprises, institutions, and organizations shall notify the relevant Military Enlistment and Social Support Centers regarding women who work in these entities, at enterprises, institutions, and organizations who have received education in a medical or pharmaceutical specialty and are not registered for military service with the TCC and SP.

Thus, the employer reports such an employee but does not carry out the registration procedure.

Regarding the return to Ukraine and military registration of female medical professionals who are abroad under the temporary protection mechanism

Under current Ukrainian law, restrictions on traveling abroad during martial law apply exclusively to male Ukrainian citizens between the ages of 18 and 60 who are subject to military registration and mobilization. 

Women who have a medical or pharmaceutical education and are subject to military registration are not restricted in their right to travel abroad, even during a period of general mobilization. 

Accordingly, women who are abroad under a temporary protection program or for other reasons cannot be forcibly returned to Ukraine for military registration, mobilization, or military service.

Regarding Liability 

The primary form of liability is administrative, which entails fines for evading registration or for failing to submit or timely update registration information. 

Criminal liability may apply only in cases of actual evasion of mobilization after receiving a summons.

However, at present, cases in which women who are subject to military registration under the law are held administratively or criminally liable are rare.

Conclusions

The registration of women with medical or pharmaceutical education for military service is purely a registration procedure and is not equivalent to mobilization; that is, it does not in itself imply mandatory conscription or military service without a corresponding decision by the state.