MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. Former US president’s special envoy on Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has spoken out in favor of mobilizing women to serve with the armed forces of Ukraine.

"My daughter was a soldier. She graduated from the US Military Academy and fought in Afghanistan. Do I believe that women should be mobilized into the army? My answer is yes. Because they fight no worse than men," he told Ukraine’s Naspravdi YouTube channel.

"It is very important that women, as part of society, on into service. On both a personal and professional level, I don’t see a problem," Kellogg added.

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 in the country on May 18 of the same year. Men have tried various ways to avoid conscription or leave the country, often risking their lives. Military enlistment office personnel regularly conduct raids and use force against civilians. But even these measures have failed to address the Ukrainian forces’ personnel shortage. Cases of desertion and unauthorized absence from military units continue to rise. The topics of mobilizing women and lowering the mobilization age further are periodically raised in the country.